


Unconditionally

by Happily_tommo87



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: AU, Accidents, Adoption, Baby Niall, Bedwetting, Bellyaches, Curious George - Freeform, Diapers, Dummies, Innocent Niall, M/M, Mention of Past Physical Abuse, Niall-centric, Nightmares, Non-Sexual Age Play, One direction AU, Pacifier - Freeform, Panic Attacks, Police Officer Zayn, baby!Niall, louis hates fruits and veggies, mention of past mental abuse, mother hen!liam, nappy changes, sippy cups, tantrums
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-02
Updated: 2017-03-05
Packaged: 2018-05-17 23:11:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 67,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5888848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Happily_tommo87/pseuds/Happily_tommo87
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Zayn wakes Liam up in the middle of the night, Liam doesn't expect to end up being the one responsible for taking care of a teenage boy who acts as if he is a toddler. Liam has to learn how to care for the Niall above everything else, unconditionally, if he wants this to work.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Zayn? What're you doing here? It's nearly three in the morning!" Liam grumbled, rubbing his right eye with the back of his hand.

Zayn looked back to his car, red and blue lights on the top rack on but not flashing. Liam followed his line of sight and saw something move in the back of the cruiser.

"I'm still on duty, but, well, I have a huge favor to ask of you." Zayn pulled off his hat and rubbed at the closely shorn hair.

"What is it that couldn't wait for the morning." Liam groaned, rolling his arms and walking the few feet from his front door to his kitchen. He pulled up his sagging joggers as he shuffled to the fridge.

Liam lived by himself in a small, two bedroom first floor flat that he rented from one of Zayn's aunts. He worked from home, designing websites for various big global tech firms. He moved to London about three years ago and met Zayn one night in a local pub.

Liam was immediately enraptured by the quiet but proud way that Zayn carried himself in the pub, surrounded by faces that knew each other. Yet, they barely said more than a couple words to the tall tanned boy.

Zayn had made his way over to the new Londoner and within twenty minutes the two lads had begun a friendship that had no end in sight.

Zayn turned to look at his patrol car for a brief moment and then followed his friend in, missing the flash of blue eyes that peered out the back seat window.

"So what's this favor? Need me to watch Raja or perhaps babysit some comic books for you while your at work? Because I really don't see why this couldn't wait for the morning." Liam pulled out a jug of milk and poured himself a glass while turning and peering over the end of the cup to look at his friend.

"Well, no, Raja is just fine now. He's out of that puppy phase I think. But, well, it's sort of hard to explain without giving you this massive story. I was on patrol and I just started my shift at 11, and there was a double homicide at this residence not too far from where I was. I get there and turns out this man and wife had shot each other." Zayn is cut off by Liam breathing out a soft "Holy shit!"

Zayn runs his hands over his tired face before continuing.

"Yea, so we're searching the house and me and Louis take the second floor and I find this kid hiding under his covers terrified. He's shaking and crying and when I entered the room he... Looked at me with such fear. Talked with some of the neighbors later on, and they told me the couple had adopted the boy about eight years ago. The couple said the Horans kept to themselves, didn't have a whole lot of details other than that and the boy's name.

"So, I'm trying to get this kid to come with me and he's still crying and reaching out for his... bedposts and gets his hands on this blanket, he's light as a feather that boy, and that's when I hear over my walkie that the rest of our guys located a gas leak in the place and we have to vacate asap."

Liam gasps and puts his cup down, milk mustache still on his lips as he quickly asks, "Was everyone okay? Did everyone make it out?"

Zayn nods, "Yeah, all the guys were okay but we weren't able to get the bodies out before the pilot light went on and the whole place was in flames within moments."

Zayn oomphs as Liam tackles him in a hug. When he lets go, Liam looks closely at the nervous expression on his friend's face.

"Wait, what exactly do you need my help with?" Liam questions.

Zayn reaches up and rubs the back of his neck. "Well, it's just that the neighbors didn't know of any family members and it's so late and the kid was so scared I didn't just want to leave him at the station. He's very... innocent and he was so scared Liam! I still have the rest of my shift to complete and he was so scared Liam."

Liam cocks one eyebrow and backs up, crossing his arms over his chest. "What are you trying to ask, Zee?"

"The boy's in my cruiser, and you're so good with kids and you're home all the time and I just couldn't let Social Services take him...they just wouldn't understand his needs and I think it would do more harm than good for him."

"Zayn, tell me you don't expect me to take this kid in." Liam fumed, bracing his hands on the counter before him.

"Well, actually yes. Just for a little bit though! He's a quiet one, hasn't said 'boo' since I've had him." Zayn began to back up to the doorway he entered the flat.

"No, I can't do that. No, absolutely not. Zayn! No!" Liam whispered shouted as Zayn walked backwards through the front door leaving it open with a smile on his face.

He watched as Zayn went to the back seat and opened the car door. The cab lights went on and Liam could see a lump of a blue blanket move. Zayn squatted down and appeared to be talking to the boy he had rescued.

After a lot of visual coaxing on Zayn's part, Zayn lifted the blanketed boy and shifted his upper body to close the door. Zayn quickly shuffled his way up the path to Liam's front door.

Liam closed the door after the two entered his flat. The boy was covered by a muddy blue blanket and when Zayn set him down on his feet, Liam was a little shocked at the size of the boy. In his mind, Liam was expecting a child somewhere between the ages of eight and ten.

His eyes grew as he realized the boy was much taller, however very skinny and baby faced, probably more around the age of fifteen or sixteen.

"Liam, this is Niall. Niall, this is my friend Liam. He's going to take care of you for a little bit. I have to go back to work," Zayn talked softly to the boy, reaching out to reassure the young lad when he saw the blue eyes grow with panic.

"No, no, you'll be okay. I have to go back to work and I'll stop by tomorrow to see you. Liam will make sure you get a good nights sleep and I'll stop over with some supplies tomorrow. I've got to get going though." Zayn patted the boy's hair and tapped him on the nose with a smile as he turned to thank Liam before making his way quickly out the door and back to his cruiser.

Liam took a deep breath before looking at the younger boy and his appearance. The boy was staring at the door that Zayn had left through. The boy was wearing red socks with blue and yellow polka dots, green knit cotton bottoms and a green short sleeved pajama top, the muddy blanket wrapped around him like a cape.

Niall reached up and rubbed his tired eyes, a pout forming on his lips as he sniffled looked once more to the door Zayn left through.

"Well, alright then. Come on, Niall, let's get you settled in. How about I wash your blanket there and then maybe would you like something to eat or drink while we wait for your blanket there to dry? Does that sound good?" Liam reached out a hand to take the dirty blanket, not expecting the grip to be quite so strong on it.

"Hey, I just want to wash it so you can sleep with it tonight. I promise it'll be quick. In and out in under an hour." Liam tried again to reassure the boy and was able to get the blanket.

Niall hugged himself, rubbing his hands up and down his freckle spotted arms. "I'll throw this in the wash then we can get you something warmer to wear, I run hot so my flats a little on the cold side."

Niall followed Liam around, socks shuffling a few feet behind the older man as he went to his washer and placed the soiled blanket in the empty washer drum followed by a heaping scoop of laundry powder.

Liam turned and continued down his hallway to his bedroom. Niall paused in the doorway, staying in the light until Liam flicked on the light to his closet. The younger boy's bright blue eyes drifted around the bedroom as Liam dug around the closet, hangers scratching the post they were hung on as Liam tried to find something to fit the younger one's small frame.

"Here you go. You'll be swimming in it, but at least you'll be warm." Liam held out the dark grey wool jumper, waiting for Niall to take it.

The smaller boy looked at the article of clothing and then back to the older one's face. He made no movement to reach for it.

"Oh, come on now, don't be shy." Liam stepped closer, balled the fabric up and pulled it over the blonde's head. Only then did Niall lift his arms up to shimmy his hands through the sleeves and pull it down over his chest.

Liam looked over the boy, smiling at the way the sleeves drooped over Niall's hands like sweater paws.

"Alright, what would you like to eat?" Liam questioned before holding up a finger and correcting himself, "Actually, hang on, let's go to the kitchen and see what I have first."

Liam waved Niall on and the two silently walked back down the hallway and into the kitchen. Niall rubbed his eyes and looked back down the hallway before turning his attention to the older man.

Liam opened the fridge and dug around a bit. "Um, so I've got some left over chicken fried rice take away, uhhh... I've got some apples and asparagus. Oh! Me mum brought over some home made mac and cheese. It's delicious, would you like me to heat you up some of that?"

Liam pulled the plastic container out of the fridge and turned around to check Niall's reaction and was pleased to see Niall slowly nodding.

"Ace. Ok, let me just stick this in the microwave to warm it up a bit." Liam pressed a few buttons before turning and looking at Niall.

Niall stood in the middle of the kitchen eyes wandering about. The microwave beeped and Liam took out the container and placed it in front of a chair before looking at the fridge again. "You want something to drink? I've got uh, water, soda water, uh, milk..."

Niall's eyebrows went up immediately upon hearing the last drink option.

"Yea? Okay, milk it is." Liam smiled at Niall, eyes crinkling at the little bit of excitement the boy showed.

Liam placed a glass of milk, filled to the near top, on the table next to his mac and cheese. Liam placed a fork on the table next to the food as well.

"Well, go on, I'm just gonna check on your blanket. Should be nearly ready for the dryer. I'll be back in a flash." Liam smiled before popping around the corner to the washer and dryer.

After shaking out the now much brighter blue blanket, and tossing it with a dryer sheet into the dryer, Liam headed back to the kitchen.

The brown eyed man stopped short upon seeing Niall sitting on his knees in his chair, macaroni littering the seat and floor around the chair. Niall brought the fork to his mouth again, getting one noodle in his mouth while three fell to the floor.

The boy sat the utensil down and reached for the cup of milk. Niall moved the glass slowly to his lips, spilling large amounts onto Liam's grey jumper. Raising one eyebrow at the boy's lack of hand eye coordination, he scanned the mess once more.

Liam's eyes travelled down the boy's body passing the bottom of his jumper that was stuck on something white and cloth-like sticking up from beneath the boy's pajama pants. Liam gasped and quickly turned, running to his bedroom and scrambling to get his cell phone.

Dialing Zayn's number, he took deep breathes and he tried to understand what he had gotten himself into. When Zayn picked up, Liam gave him zero chance to get a word in before he began once again whisper shouting at his friend.

"Zayn! What the fuck did you get me into?! That boy, he's what sixteen fucking years old and in a fucking nappy?! He can barely feed himself! What did you leave me with?! I don't want this, you need to come and get him. I can't deal with that. No, you need to come get him now, I don't want anything to do with him!" Liam ended a little louder than he intended.

He didn't hear the small patting noise of socked feet following the voice of Liam.

Liam listened to his friend try to calm him. "Liam, I know, I know. I'm sorry."

"You KNEW?! You knew that you were leaving me a giant baby who can't take care of himself or wee in the fucking loo?!" Liam shouted, turning to see blue eyes fill with tears and disappear somewhere into Liam's flat.

"Oh, bollocks, the fucking kid heard me. Just great. Now I'm going to have to deal with a blubbering baby." Liam groaned.

"Liam, stop, he's... I know different. I found him locked in a crib. I'll bring over some nappies and things for him after my shift. It's just, no one would be able to help him like you could. You're so good with kids! Please, just be gentle with him. He's... he's little." Zayn stressed.

"Ugh you better come over after. I have to go find him before he drools on something or wees on my rug." Liam hangs up and wipes at his eyes, thinking of those wet blue eyes that looked at him like he had crushed the boy's entire world.

"Niall? Niall, where'd you go?" Liam called out, waking down the hallway and peering into his living room, not seeing any where that Niall could hide.

Turning into the kitchen, Liam immediately saw where Niall had gone to. On his hands and knees sobbing silently as the boy picked the cheese covered noodles off the floor and tried to stuff it into his mouth, causing his face to become extremely messy.

"Hey, hey, you don't have to do that Niall, no, stop, don't eat off the floor." Liam said gently, reaching out to stop the boy's fingers from shoving more food into his mouth.

The sad blue eyes looked at Liam and then to the floor again, where loads more of noodles still sat cold and sticky. Niall tried to swallow what was in his mouth but it was too much and he began coughing and gagging.

"Hey, hey, spit it out, yea it's okay, it's yucky to eat off the floor." Liam pulled the boy out from under the table and began thwacking the boy on the back, trying to ignore his choice of wording.

What self respecting 22 year old says "yucky?"

"Shhh, I'm sorry about what you heard. I... I don't really want you to leave, I was just... Just suddenly overwhelmed. Shhh, don't cry. Come on, how bout a shower and then your blanket should be dry and then you can sleep. Yea, that sounds like a good idea." Liam rubbed the boy's back for a moment more before stopping and standing up. Pulling up the boy, who was still covered in food.

Niall looked over at the table, eyeing the milk still in the glass before lowering his head, ready to follow Liam to the bathroom.

"Hey, go on, have some more if you want it. We're in no rush." Liam encouraged, taking the glass into his own hands before passing it to Niall's slightly shaky ones.

Niall slowly brought the glass to his mouth, trying his best to be careful.

Niall focused on the level of milk in the glass as he kept two hands on it, elbows pointing out on either side. Liam noticed how the boy's cheeks burned bright as the milk sloshed over the lip of the glass and onto the boy's cheeks, sliding down the smooth pink skin and onto Liam's jumper.

Niall's arms moved and a large wave of milk came pouring into the boy's face, making him cough and splutter, pouring more milk onto himself in the process.

Liam hurried to take the glass from the younger boy, placing it on the table before grabbing a dishcloth off the counter and wiping at Niall's pajama bottoms before realizing that the boy had become immensely upset and tears were silently pouring down his face.

"Hey, hey, don't be upset. It um, it happens. Everyone spills shit all the time. It's not a big deal, no sense in crying over it!" Liam bent his head to try and make eye contact with the boy while reassuring him with a couple pats to the back.

Niall crumpled and melted to the side, hiding his face in his arms against the floor. Liam gave the kid a few moments to wallow some more before suggesting the two go to the bathroom to clean up, telling Niall he would share some clothes for him to sleep in.

Niall wiped at his face before nodding, slowly getting to his feet and following the older man down the hallway past Liam's bedroom door to a full bathroom. Liam opened a closet within the bathroom and pulled out a large fluffy towel and a plaid flannel, laying it on the floor next to the bathtub.

"So, I've got shampoo and soap and stuff on the shelves there. Use whatever you'd like. Um, here, the shower is kind of a difficult one to figure out the right temperature and everything. If you're not careful it goes to 43 degrees Celsius real quick." Liam explained over his shoulder as he fiddled with the temperature gauge.

Niall stood in the middle of the white tiled bathroom watching Liam with curiosity written all over his face.

When Liam had finished he pulled the glass shower door across the edge of the tub and turned smiling at the soiled boy. He rubbed the back of his head and he looked from the now cocked head of blonde to the running shower.

"Yeah, um, alright so now that you're all sorted out I'll just run and grab you some clean night clothes and leave them on the edge of the sink. I won't peek or anything while you're in there, promise." Liam excused himself, closing the bathroom door partially and quickly made his way to his bedroom. After digging around his drawers he finally grabbed a suitable night outfit for Niall, warm socks included and he paused, wondering if he had given Niall enough time to get into the shower.

He sat on his bed, checked his email and waited for five more minutes to pass. At that point he figured Niall might be waiting for clean clothes before getting out of the shower.

Liam knocked on the door and listened for Niall's possible voice but heard nothing over the soothing pattern of water falling.

"Niall? Here's your-" The brunette cut himself off when he noticed that Niall was in the same exact position as when he left some ten minutes ago.

"Niall? You okay? Is there something wrong with the shower?" Liam moved into the bathroom as he finished speaking, making his way around to the front of Niall to see the big crocodile tears and with the boy's fingers gently touching the elastic waistband of his pajama bottoms.

Liam bit his lip, silently mulling over whether he should offer assistance or not. A tiny whimper left Niall's lips and Liam had made up his mind.

"Do you need help with this?"

Niall frowned, lowering his head before nodding slowly. Liam took a deep breath and swallowed before he reached for his own jumper sleeve and began to tug, letting the younger's arms slide through the fabric. Once he had done both sides he tugged it over the blonde's head letting it drop to the floor. The boy's short sleeved top came off slower, Niall tensing as the older one's hands skirted over his stomach and underarms.

The bottoms were not as bad for Liam to pull off, but he avoided looking at the nappy taped between the boy's legs. The bulge and slight flaxen color of the front of the diaper made Liam's cheeks color. Getting the socks off the boy turned out to be the most complicated. Niall had very little balance standing on one foot and was terribly ticklish on the soles of his feet.

The giggles that slipped through Niall's otherwise silent lips made Liam smile and relax a little. That was, until Liam realized all that was left was the nappy that made Liam panic upon first discovery of it.

"Um, okay Niall, I'm gonna take your nappy off then you can hop in, alright?" Liam reached out for the tabs, waiting for Niall to nod before actually releasing the velcro-like straps. The diaper fell to the floor with a loud and embarrassing thud.

"Oh, fuck, mate that looks awful. How long were you in that thing? I hope the shower helps you feel better. And probably being out of those things will help it feel better, air it out and what not." Liam frowned.

He couldn't help but stare at the bright red, raw color of Niall's groin. His own crotch burned with discomfort just looking at the boy's before he shook his head and opened the glass door for Niall to step into the tub. The water had cooled slightly, having been running for the past fifteen minutes.

Liam slid the door shut and turned to pick up the dirty clothes and wrap up the soiled nappy, wrinkling his nose at the pungent odor it emitted.

When he turned to wash his hands in the sink he looked at his reflection in the mirror, only to panic when he didn't see Niall in the shower.

"Niall?!" Liam yelped, turning and leaving the sink running. He stopped short when he saw Niall sitting in the shower, the water gently beating down on his head and shoulders, body hunched over itself and he wiped at his face as the water ran over his eyebrows and into his eyelashes. He quickly turned off the sink before returning his attention to Niall.

"What are you doing down there?" Liam asked, opening the shower door and squatting next to the wet boy.

"Sit."

Liam's brown eyes grew as he heard Niall speak for the first time. His voice was soft but scratchy, as if it hadn't been used in some time.

"Sit in baff." Niall looked at Liam as he said his next sentence. "No ouchie."

Liam seemed to melt as he heard the juvenile sound to Niall's speech, surprised at the mispronunciation coming from a teenager.

He smiled at the wet boy and kneeled down next to the bath, reaching out to switch the mode on the tap, going from shower to filling the tub. He reached down beneath the water and lifted the lever, effectively plugging the drain.

Niall shivered as he sat in the shallow water, stretching his legs out and wiggling his toes. Liam reached down for the folded flannel and dunked it in the rising water, the level just reaching the back of Niall's slightly bent knees.

Reaching for the bar of soap Liam kept on the built in shower shelf, he soaped up the flannel and held it out to Niall.

"Go on, wash up. Your blanket should be dry soon. It's getting late." Liam watched as Niall pursed his lips in concentration as he ran the soapy cloth over his knees and belly button, missing his toes, back and arms.

Niall handed the flannel back to Liam and stated, "Done." He shivered again while he waited for direction from the older boy.

"I'm, okay, yeah I guess that'll do. Um, let me just grab a cup or something to rinse you off." Liam stood and looked below his sink, dumping out a cup of extra wrapped toothbrushes he kept under the sink for friends and family that would visit.

He rinsed the cup out in the sink before returning to the tub and filled the cup with clean water directly from the tap. He lifted it to Niall's head before realizing, "Oh! We didn't wash your hair! How silly to forget!"

Niall looked at Liam expectantly before shivering again. Liam reached over Niall's head and flipped open the cap to his own shampoo bottle and turned it over.

"Open your hand, Niall." Liam instructed. The younger boy listened and watched as a dollop of shampoo was dropped onto the palm of his hand. Niall brought it closer to his nose and sniffed it.

Before Liam could stop him, the younger boy licked the creamy pink liquid. Niall immediately rejected the awful tasting shampoo. He spat quickly and refused to put his tongue back into his mouth. He wiped at his offended tongue with his clean hand and held the dejected shampoo away from him.

"You're not meant to eat it! It's shampoo, you put it in your hair!" Liam clucked, putting the strawberry scented shampoo into his own hands before rubbing it over the top and back of the boy's head.

"No tawberhwee. Yuckie." Niall dunked his hand under the water to rinse his palm clean. Liam chuckled and filled up the floating cup with clean water.

"Close your eyes, Niall." Liam instructed. Niall listened closing his eyes promptly. However he gasped and opened his eyes as he felt the water rush over his face. Niall's arms flailed a little as he cried out, shampoo suds stinging his eyes and sliding into his mouth.

"Ahhhhh!" Liam panicked and began to toss more water onto Niall, hoping to flush out the soap and provide some relief to the boy.

"Fuck, I'm sorry Niall! Hey, hey, you're gonna slip if you-" Liam leapt forward as Niall slid on his bottom forwards and throwing himself off balance. His head went back and nearly collided with the hard ceramic bathtub if it hadn't been for Niall grabbing for Liam when the larger arms reached out to stop the quick movement.

"Hey! It's okay, you're alright, Niall, I've got you. Shhhh, shhhh, it's okay. You didn't get hurt, you just got startled. That's all, you're alright. I've got you. Yes, I do, I've got you." Liam half cradled the sopping wet boy in his arms, still sitting in the tub. His own tshirt being drenched quickly as he leaned over the edge of the tub.

Niall clung to the older man, crying, rubbing his eyes as a little bit of shampoo remained. Liam sighed and closed his eyes, rubbing the back of the now severely shivering boy.

"What am I getting myself into?" He asked himself, turning gently to attempt retrieving the white fluffy towel he had placed earlier on the floor.

"Stand up, Niall, it's alright, I've got you. I won't let you slip. It's time to get out of the tub." Liam struggled to get the slippery boy to stand and wrap him with a towel simultaneously.

Niall's cries had died down to pathetic wet sniffle. Once Liam had successfully gotten Niall safely out of the tub, he took it upon himself to dry the boy off, apologizing when he had to wipe quickly at the red skin of Niall's groin. Liam frowned at the still pink area before realizing he was staring and asked Niall to start getting dressed while he ran to check on the boy's blanket.

When Liam returned to the bathroom Niall had his shirt on backwards and was stuck with two legs in one hole of the boxer briefs he was borrowing.

Niall frowned at the predicament he had gotten himself into. He stared at Liam with a resigning frown and looked helplessly at the man before him.

"You need some help?" Liam offered placing the blanket on the drink sink counter. Niall nodded pitifully and sunk to the floor.

Once Liam had straightened Niall out he passed the younger one his blanket and pressed the lever to drain the tub.

Niall followed Liam out of the bathroom and to a bedroom across the hall from the bathroom. Liam flicked on the lights and walked in, thumbing at the bed while he spoke.

"So this is the spare bedroom. You can sleep here. In the morning sleep as late as you need to. I'll probably be up because my internal clock won't shut off but you get your rest. You know where I am if you need me, I'll leave my door opened a little. Night Niall." Liam gave a little wave as he left the boy alone in the spare bedroom and headed for his own comfy bed.


	2. Chapter 2

Liam flicked his light switch, the bedside lamp illuminating more than enough in his room and moved to shut the door nearly all the way. He stretched before crawling back under his covers and reaching for his cell phone.

He played with it for a few moments before letting it sit back down on his nightstand. He yawned and pulled the tiny beaded string on his bedside lamp to turn it off before flipping and turning under the covers. He yawned again before rolling over and snuggling down beneath his warm comforter.

A tiny sound jolted him wide awake a moment later. Liam opened his eyes and peered into the darkness. A tiny strip of light was seeping through the little crack of door he left open.

"Why hasn't that boy shut his light off yet?" Liam murmured to himself.

Liam patted down the hall, listening quietly just outside the spare bedroom door. He squinted and leaned his head closer, not quite sure what he was waiting for.

There. The gasping sound that reached him made him frown. He knocked on the door. "Niall? You alright in there?" He quietly asked, not wanting to spook the younger boy.

Liam pushed open the door when they're was no response. "Awww..." He cooed when he saw Niall.

The smaller boy was in a ball on the floor. He had his blanket over his head, bottom pointed towards the ceiling as he curled in on himself.

"Niall? You awake?" Liam walked over to the smaller one and pulled back the boy's blanket.

"Hey, why're you crying? You look exhausted, don't you want to climb into bed and sleep a bit?" Liam asked, gently pulling the blanket back to the bottom of Niall's neck, noting Niall's flushed face and wet cheeks.

"Can't." Niall whispered. Another sob slipped out of Niall's lips. Liam hesitated before lifting his right hand. He began to rub Niall's back in small circles, the soft blue fabric pulling and swirling as he did so.

Liam stayed quiet for a few moments more. Awkwardness crept into him as he thought about everything that had happened in just a few hours of Niall arriving. When it was clear Niall wasn't going to elaborate on why he couldn't sleep, Liam gently tried to broach the subject.

"You can't? Why can't you? It's okay to sleep in the bed, I'm asking you to." Liam moved his hand up into Niall's hair. The sobs getting heavier as time passed.

"No, no crib. No dummy. Wownwe." Niall's short punctuated words didn't make sense.

"Niall, I know you don't have a crib. You don't have to sleep in one anymore. I um, I'm not really sure what the rest of what you said means. Can you try to explain again?" Liam wiped at the boy's cheeks with the back of his hand.

"Dummy. No dummy. No seep." Niall frowned and pointed to his mouth.

"Oh." Liam finally understood. A dummy. The boy was used to having one while he slept. Zayn must have pulled it out or left it behind when he was evacuating Niall's home.

"Well," Liam began, "I can ask Zayn to bring you one in the morning. I don't have any here... Sorry."

Niall curled sideways, laying his head on Liam's thigh as the older boy continued to run his fingers through his hair.

Liam leaned back, placing all his weight on his other hand and looked at the ceiling, debating how he would ask Zayn to get the pacifier for Niall.

When he looked back down at the boy, Liam was struck by how young he looked while sleeping. Niall was snuffling on Liam's thigh, fingers curled tightly around his blanket. The corner of the blanket a darker blue from the boy sucking on it in his sleep.

Liam chuckled before gently easing his legs out from underneath the blonde's head. Liam stood up and tiptoed to the bed, pulling back the grey comforter and cool bedsheets. He pushed a couple of pillows to the side and laid a nice fluffy one down in the center of the full sized bed.

Going back to Niall, Liam readied himself to lift the boy and place him in the bed. Niall stayed asleep as Liam raised him into the air, little snuffling and sucking noises escaping his mouth as he gnawed on the blue fabric.

Niall was lighter than Liam expected, his hands holding tight under the boy's knobby knees and boney shoulders.

"Mumma..." Niall mumbled. Liam held his breath, expecting Niall to open his eyes.

Niall stayed asleep however, as he sunk into the mattress. Liam pulled the covers up around the boy's waist and unwrapped the blue blanket from around his body. Tucking the blanket in front of Niall and under his arms, Liam finished pulling the covers up all the way.

He watched Niall for a few moments, satisfied that the boy was settled and sleeping, before tiptoeing out of the room. He flicked the lights off and closed the door partially.

When Liam got to his room he fumbled for his phone in his sheets, having fallen there in his earlier rush before texting Zayn.

*you owe me. Kid wants a dummy too.*

The response came within seconds, *k*

Liam grumbled to himself, "Course he would waste an entire text message on a single letter."

Turning over, Liam let sleep take him.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

When Liam woke the next morning he stretched under the covers before remembering the previous night's events.

He rubbed his face and groaned, checking his phone for the time. It read, 7:45, with a text saying that Zayn would be there by eight.

Liam got up and shuffled down the hall, stopping by the spare room and listening for any noise.

His ears were met with silence. He kept going down the hallway, making it into the kitchen before throwing his arms in the air and stomping (quietly) back to the spare room.

Liam slowly pushed the bedroom door open and poked his head in. He chuckled quietly when he saw Niall's face smushed into the pillow facing him, laying on his chest with his bum pushed into the air.

Feeling as though he could begin his day now that he checked on Niall, he left the boy sleeping and made his way to his kitchen. He started filling the kettle when there was a knock at his door.

Liam cringed as he tried to finish filling the kettle before setting it on the stove. He ran to the front door and opened it, immediately hushing Zayn and looking over his shoulder, towards his hallway.

Zayn exaggerated tiptoeing into Liam's flat, pointing to the plastic bag he was carrying and set it down on the table.

"Thank you." Liam whispered, peering into the bag.

"Why did you bring nappies? He's like sixteen, he doesn't need those." Liam questioned, raising an eyebrow at his friend.

"I think he does. Look, he sixteen yeah, but he's not sixteen. Does that make sense? He's a little. I've been assigned to gathering info about the boy's family. None of the neighbors had any clue about their private lives. So, my guess is they kept it a secret. His bedroom was all done up, Liam, you should have seen it. Changing table, rocking chair, bookshelf full of kid books. The crib though gave me the creeps. Had a top to it, with a lock, and he wouldn't even be able to sit up in it." Zayn finished, pulling out the dummy and a few other items.

"Um. What is this?" Liam asked, holding up a bottle with little yellow ducks on it.

Zayn was crumpling the plastic bag when he saw what Liam was holding. "Uh, dude, it's a bottle."

Liam rolled his eyes. "No shit it's a bottle. Why is it here though?"

Zayn chuckled and shook his head. "You said he asked for a dummy, right?"

Liam nodded and waited for Zayn to continue.

"So, if he's asking for a dummy, you honestly think he's not going to need or want bottles and nappies? I mean, I don't know a ton about him but it seems to me he's pretty dependent on them. He was with the Horans for eight years. He's not going to just stop needing these things." Zayn laughed, as if it was beyond comprehension that anyone could think otherwise.

"Oh. Um, I see." Liam gulped, looking down the hallway.

"What did you do?" Zayn asked.

"Well, I just put him to bed last night. Had to help him in the bathroom, he just didn't have any idea how to do these... these normal things. Um, the nappy he was in was soaked and he was all irritated by it, I don't know!" Liam began to panic, "I just put him in normal clothes and sent him to bed! Oh fuck, you don't think he'd..."

Liam's words faded as he heard a cry coming from down the hallway. "Fuck." Liam said, looking over at Zayn, unsure of what to do with his friend now here.

Niall's cries got louder and then the two men in the kitchen both cringed when they heard a thump followed by silence. Liam took off down the hall, the cries having restarted at a louder volume.

Liam pushed on the opened bedroom door and ran over to the bed, seeing Niall tangled in the grey comforter and white sheets all now on the floor.

"Hey, Niall, it's okay, slow down darling, let me help you." Liam pulled at the twisted comforter and tried to slow Niall's panicked movements.

"Hold on, what are you doing? Niall, wait!" Liam shouted, feeling immediately bad for scaring the younger one, seeing the boy cringe and cover his head with his hands at the sound of his voice.

"I'm sorry, I just didn't want you to hit your head on the nightstand. Look, you're so close to it." Liam explained, pointing to the large wooden piece of furniture.

Zayn peeked his head in the doorway and chuckled, watching as Liam attempted to extract the boy from the blankets.

"Oh, what the fuck. Really? Ugh, okay, no no, it's not your fault, Niall, it's okay. Shhh, no, it's not something to get upset over, it, uh. Um. Hang on." Liam tries to reassure the younger boy before getting up and running to the doorway.

"Zayn! He weed in the bed! I don't, I can't, I just. He just! Zayn!" Liam was flustered and unsure of what to do.

"I'm going to get going." Zayn said, backing up and trying to get to the front door.

"What do you mean? You're leaving? But, I need help!" Liam panicked, grabbing at Zayn's uniform.

"Liam, I have to go home, I just got off my shift. I need to sleep and eat. I'll call you later." Zayn explained, opening the front door.

"No! You need to stay here, you brought me this kid, and I need help!" Liam shouted out the front door.

"You'll be fine. I'll check in later." And with that, Zayn was turning and climbing into his car.

Liam groaned and slammed the front door. He stalked back to the spare bedroom where Niall was standing, holding his blanket up against the side of his face, crying.

The dark wet spot showed easily on the gray joggers, as well as having spread to the boy's blue tshirt.

Niall looked at Liam as he entered the room, the boy's cheeks flushed and the frown being a near permanent fixture since last night.

"Hey, let's get you cleaned up, okay?" Liam asked, moving closer and holding an arm out to drape over Niall's shoulders as he directed the boy out of the room.

When they got to the bathroom, Niall began to cry harder, sliding down to the floor and staying as a heap on the tile. Liam set about grabbing another towel and flannel, and began to draw the bath for the boy.

"Come on, Niall, let's get you out of those wet clothes. I know, it's uncomfortable." Liam helped the younger one get undressed, Niall hissing when Liam had to pull off the drenched and itchy boxer briefs.

"Man, that looks worse today." He mumbled to himself. "Niall, Zayn brought some things for you today. I'm going to go take a look and see if there's anything that can help you out. I think you've got a rash there, buddy."

Liam checked the water level and quickly jogged down the hallway to the kitchen. He took a quick inventory of what his friend had brought.

A package of youth nappies size small, a package of baby wipes, the yellow duck bottle, a bottle with blue cars, a blue dummy with green turtles on it, a green dummy with orange starfish and a couple of board books.

"Well, this isn't much at all." Liam said, grabbing the package of wipes and pulling out a single diaper and running back down the hallway.

Niall was shivering, sitting on the cold tile. Liam scooted around him to turn off the water and then placed the diaper and wipes on the floor next to the towel he had put down earlier.

"Hey, you ready for the bath? I promise I'll be quicker and better than last night." Liam squatted down, reaching out for Niall's chin as he spoke.

Lifting the boy's chin he smiled at him, took a deep breath in and helped the boy into the tub. Niall whined a bit when his red skin touched the water.

"You want to wash yourself?" Liam asked, holding out the now soaped up flannel. Niall shook his head and dropped his chin.

"Okay, I'll be quick. Then we'll make some breakfast and maybe go get some groceries. I don't have a ton. I think you're going to be living with me for a little bit." Liam explains, starting at Niall's neck and shoulders, rubbing the flannel in small circles over Niall's body.

Niall is quiet and pliant, the tears having stopped falling for some time now. Liam is able to easily maneuver the boy's limbs as he washes them, scrubbing and smiling when Niall flinches a little bit from being ticklish.

Liam debates washing the boy's crotch but decides against it. The redness hadn't eased since first getting into the water. He doesn't want to add fuel to the fire.

"Alright, Niall, all that's left is your hair." Liam reaches out for the shampoo and goes to places a dollop in the boy's hair directly but can't. Niall has his arms shielding his head.

"No! Ouchie!" Niall shouts, trying to scoot forwards and away from Liam's grip.

"Hey, stop it, Niall. You need your hair washed. I'm not going to get it in your eyes. Stop!" Liam grunts as he tries to pull Niall's arms down.

Niall fights back, water sloshing as the two tug and pull at each other.

"Niall! That's enough!" Liam says sternly and gives Niall's hand a hard tug. Niall's is tired from the struggle and lets his arm relax. Unfortunately, Liam was preparing himself for a struggle.

Niall's elbow clobbers with the side of the tub with a loud echoing sound. Liam swears as he rushes to give Niall a hug, knowing immediately it was his fault the kid got hurt.

"Oh, Niall, crap I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have been pulling on you like that. Shhh, you're not bleeding." Liam apologized.

Niall sniffled and held up his elbow, "Kissit."

"Pardon, what?" Liam responded.

"Kissit? Peas." Niall repeated, tacking on the polite word.

"You want me to... kiss it? Kiss your elbow?" Liam clarified.

Niall nodded, his bottom lip protruding even more and raising his elbow further up.

Liam sighs and figures, why the hell not? He dives down quickly to plant a quick peck on the reddened joint.

"There. Better? Forget washing your hair, we did it last night, you'll be fine." Liam explains, reaching down by Niall's toes to lift the lever and drain the tub.

Niall screeches and splashes about, "No! Noooo! Ahhhh! Hep! Hep me!"

Liam doesn't understand why the boy is panicking. Niall is still screaming and scrambling to get away from the drain. The brunette tries to calm the other one but nothing seems to be working.

"Okay, hey, Niall, you're okay. Alright, come here, I've got you." Liam speaks calmly, hoping some of his zen will seep into the upset boy.

Niall only calms down once he is in Liam's arms. Niall bumps his knees on the glass sliding door of the bathtub, but doesn't care as he climbs out of the tub. He scrambles to sit in Liam's lap, wet and shivering, burying his face in the older one's neck.

"Shhh, you're okay, Niall. Calm down, there we go. There's no reason to be frightened of the drain. You can't fit down there. It's okay. I've got you. Let's get you warmed up, alright?" Liam is completely confused by how Niall just freaked over the tub being drained. Last night, he must not have been paying attention and just drained the tub after Niall had already gotten out.

With Niall not leaving his lap, Liam reaches for the fluffy towel on the floor. Holding one corner of the towel, he shakes it out and places it as best as he could over Niall's back and shoulders.

Liam began to rub over the towel on the boy's back. Niall's crying dies down to snuffling.

"Okay, let's finish up then we can get some food. Um, I guess we got to, um, put you in one of those." Liam said, cheeks reddening as he spoke.

Niall turned to look at what Liam was talking about and saw the nappy. He nodded and crawled out of Liam's lap. Liam shivered as the tub heated boy left his lap. He pulled off his wet shirt and let it drop to the floor with the rest of the soiled clothes.

While he had done that, Niall had laid himself out on the bathroom rug, towel still partially covering his upper body.

Liam's hands shook as he realized what he was going to need to do. He grabbed the nappy and turned it over in his hands. It looked like a regular baby one, only a little bit bigger.

Niall squirmed on the rug as he waited for Liam to get started. Liam flipped the diaper back and forth, inspecting it before he looked down at Niall. Niall was looking around the bathroom, fiddling with the towel he had pulled around and onto his chest.

"Okay. I can do this." Liam whispered to himself.

Liam pried open the nappy and stretched it out between his hands. He looked back at Niall's reddened crotch and then down at the diaper again.

"Niall, can you lift your bottom up? We got to get this on you." Liam squeaked out, not being able to make eye contact.

Niall hummed and lifted his bottom. Niall played with his toes as Liam slid the clean nappy in place. Niall's redness had spread to his bottom, looking especially inflamed near his small hole.

Liam frowned at the sight of it and asked for Niall to lower his legs. He pulled the front of the nappy up into place and finagled the velcro like tabs to secure around the boy's thin waist.

"All done?" Niall asked, still laying on his back.

"Yup! Ready to get dressed. Let's go see what we can find you." Liam stood up, began to clean up the towels and things around the bathroom.

When he was done the two made their way to Liam's bedroom. Niall sat himself down on the floor next to Liam's bed and watched as Liam dug around in his closet. He pulled out some black joggers and a red woolen jumper.

Throwing them at Niall so they landed on his head, he made his way to his chest of drawers at the end of his bed.

Liam picked out a pair of warm blue socks and tossed them at Niall too. Niall sat still with the clothing dangling off his head.

"Niall?" Liam chuckled and lifted a leg of the joggers. Niall blinked up at the older man and gave a small smile.

"Want some help?" Liam asked, taking the clothing off of the boy's head.

Niall nodded and looked expectantly at Liam. Liam started with the socks, remembering how giggly he was last night, knowing he would hear the boy's giggles again.

Niall didn't disappoint.

Liam had to give Niall a break from trying to get his socks on, he was giggling and gasping so hard for air.

"Alright, ready Niall? Let's get this done with! Come on, socks on. Good. Now for the joggers. No, Niall, slow down, one leg, one hole!" Liam struggled to get Niall dressed.

Finally with his bottoms and socks on, Liam tried to get the jumper over the boy's head. Niall was not having it, he felt the scratchy material touch his face and he began to crawl away to the other side of Liam's bedroom.

"Niall! Oh come on, what's the problem? Just put the jumper on and we can go eat breakfast. I think I have some frozen waffles in the freezer." Liam tried bribing the boy.

"Wid seryup?" Niall asked, poking his head out from the side of the bed.

Liam nodded, holding out the jumper. Niall frowned, crawling closer slowly. "Is scatchie."

"It is? Well, um, I can get you an undershirt but it'll be super big on you. Guess it's just us and doesn't really matter." Liam mumbling the last part to himself.

He stood up and walked to his dresser, digging for a moment before returning to Niall on the floor with a white cotton undershirt.

Liam held it out to Niall and the boy came closer. Liam held it out for the younger one before grumbling, "Oh, that's right. You don't get dressed by yourself."

Niall blushed at Liam's words and grabbed for the jumper with a pout. He lifted the red wool and got his head under the fabric. He pulled and tugged at the material, moving it back and forth over his head.

A small, sad "humph" could be heard from underneath the jumper. Liam chuckled quietly to himself before helping Niall get sorted out. As tiring as it was to have to help the boy with every step, he sure was adorable when he attempted to do things on his own.

When Niall's head emerged from the jumper, his hair was full of static electricity and stuck to his face and upwards on the top of his head.

Liam tried to pull the out of control hair down, but gave up after a couple swipes to the blonde's head. The frown on Niall's face was quickly fixed when Liam suggested breakfast.

"Waffah! Waffah! Waffah!" Niall cheered as he followed the older one down the hallway to the kitchen. Liam turned on the stove to heat the kettle he had placed there before Zayn had arrived.

While Liam set to digging out the waffles from his freezer and putting two in the toaster, Niall was occupied by the objects Zayn had left on the table.

His blue eyes grew as he took in the bottles and pacifiers in front of him. He sat down in the chair he was in last night, pushing the drying macaroni off the seat and onto the floor.

Liam sighed when he noticed all the food on the floor. He heard a small gasp from Niall, and he looked up to see what Niall was looking at. It was the blue dummy with turtles on it. It was still in the packaging.

"Does it look okay to you?" Liam asked, stepping around a macaroni noodle. Niall startled at his voice so close to him. He turned to look at the older one and nodded slowly, eyes as big as the moon.

"Well, let me wash them and then you can use them when you want to, okay?" Liam asked, gathering the two bottles and two dummies and making his way to the sink.

He opened the packaging and dumped them into the empty dish pan. He turned on the faucet and moved it over the dish pan to fill it. Squirting a little dish soap into the filling pan, he let them soak.

Liam turned to take Niall's waffles out of the toaster. He placed them on a plate before grabbing a fork and knife, making a pit stop along the way to the table to grab the bottle of syrup from the fridge, before turning off the running water.

He placed all the balanced items onto the table before kneeling down and beginning to pick up the dried noodles off the floor.

When he finished cleaning the floor of dried macaroni and cheese, he stood up, groaning about his knees with a handful of dried macaroni. He dumped it in the garbage bin and stopped on his way to wash his hands when he noticed Niall hadn't touched his waffle yet.

"What's wrong? Don't you like it?" Liam asked, ruffling the boy's hair before quickly stopping, a blush rolling onto his cheeks at how comfortable he had gotten with Niall.

"Hawt. And ouchie!" Niall exclaimed, pointing to the butter knife Liam had placed next to the boy's plate.

Liam smirked at Niall's words. He really couldn't get over the speech patterns of this baby-teen. "Would you like me to cut it up for you?" He asked, a smile still playing on his lips.

"Yes peas." Niall said primly, squirming around so he could sit on his knees in the chair.

"Do you want to dip your waffles in the syrup or would you like the syrup drizzled all over?" Liam questioned.

"Dip! Dip! Peas." Niall exclaimed.

"Nice manners. Okay, dipping waffles it is." Liam said as he began to cut the circular waffle into strips so Niall could easily pick them up, foregoing the fork at all. He grabbed a mug from his cabinet and filled it a quarter of the way with maple syrup.

He placed the mug next to Niall's plate and told him to dig in. He began preparing himself some waffles and moved about the kitchen to also pour his now boiled water to make tea. "What would you like to drink?" Liam asked the boy.

"'Mowk." Niall answered in between bites of waffle. He leaned over his plate and tried to be as careful as he could. He dribbled syrup in a line from the mug to the edge of the plate, but stayed mostly clean.

Liam nodded and pulled the milk carton out of the fridge. "Um, Ey-yum? Ducky?" Niall asked, turning in his chair to peer at Liam.

"You...you want a duck?" Liam asked, nose and forehead wrinkling in confusion. He sat down next to Niall with his plate of waffles and mug of tea.

"Yes, Ey-yum, ducky. Where go?" Niall asked again, turning around again and scanning the table and counters.

Liam sat, still wondering what Niall was asking for. After a moment it dawned on him. "Oh! You want to use the duck bottle? Is that it?"

Niall nodded and continued to eat his waffles, dunking it and licking the syrup off, before going for more syrup and taking a large bite.

Liam nodded and went to the sink, fishing out the floating bottle before quickly washing it and rinsing all the pieces. He asked Niall, "Whats an 'ey-yum?' Niall?"

He filled it up with milk and screwed on the nipple cap and placed it on the table next to the mug of syrup. "You." Niall pointed with his syrupy fingers at Liam and giggled, as if an 'Ey-yum' could be anything else.

Liam drizzled syrup over his waffles, making sure to fill each square. He tried not to make it obvious he was watching the younger boy as he ate. "Me, huh? Ha, okay I guess. What ever floats your boat."

Niall licked his fingers on his right hand while reaching for his bottle with his left. "Ni no hab boat." Niall was more focused on the sweet flavor of his fingers and talking to Liam, than where his left hand was going.

He knocked over the bottle of milk, hitting the ceramic plate with a loud smack, making him jump and rush to apologize. "Sowwy! Sowwy, Ni not mean it! Sowwy! No ouchie! Peas, no ouchie!"

"Niall, don't worry about it. You didn't do anything wrong, you're fine. No ouchie... You... I'm not going to hurt you because you knocked over your bottle. Don't be silly, nothing even spilt! Relax, love." Liam rushed to assure, not realizing the term of endearment he had used.

Niall's blue eyes welled with tears, ready to spill down his cheeks at any moment.

"Niall? Did I get mad last night when you spilt your milk or when you dropped your macaroni?" Liam asked, cupping the boy's chin and forcing his eyes to meet Liam's warm brown ones.

He let go so that Niall could shake his head, silently saying no. Liam bopped Niall on the nose, smiling then saying, "So, then why would I get mad now?"

Niall shrugged before looking at Liam and slowly moving to lift the bottle back up, keeping his eyes on the older boy. When the bottle was upright, Niall took it with both hands and brought it to his mouth.

With a practiced ease, he suckled at the nipple and drained half his bottle of milk. He placed it carefully on the other side of his plate and finished eating his breakfast.

"Done." Niall said, sitting back in his chair and looking at Liam. He played with his fingers, pressing them together before peeling them apart and watching as his skin stuck together.

Liam nodded and placed Niall's plate and mug in the sink to clean later. He ran a dishrag over the first dummy he found floating in the water and placed it on the table for Niall.

Niall looked at the blue and green plastic before darting his hand out to retrieve it and popped it in his own mouth. He hummed while he sucked on it.

Liam sat back down to finish his waffles and tea. Niall continued to play with his fingers and watch Liam out of the corner of his eye.

Niall looked at his bottle of milk and picked it up, forgetting he had his turtle dummy in his mouth. He blushed as he looked to Liam, hearing the brunette choke out a laugh around his sip of tea. The nipple of the bottle had hit the hard plastic button in the middle of the dummy.

"Might want to try taking that out first, you goober." Liam suggested, smiling and plucking the binky from his mouth and placing on the table. Niall rubbed at his eye with the back of his hand, face still glowing brightly. He slowly moved the bottle to his lips and began to suck on it.

When he finished, he looked at Liam. "Okay, I got two more sips of tea, then we can wash you up quickly and I'll shower and then we can grab some groceries and stuff from Tesco. Alrighty?" Liam explained, gulping down his tea and standing to grab a paper towel.

He wet it, wrung it out and then held out the wet towel to Niall. Niall wiped it around his face before handing it off to Liam. Liam grimaced and said lightly, "I'll just help a bit. You missed a spot."

He wiped at Niall's face then tackled his sticky fingers. Niall whined and reached out for his dummy, slurping at it to get it all the way in his mouth, as Liam went over his hands one more time with the wet towel.

Liam finished and threw away the maple smelling towel and patted Niall on the head. "Okay, I'm going to hop in the shower then we'll go."

Niall watched as Liam walked out of the kitchen. He listened as he heard Liam go down the hall and close the bathroom door. A couple moments passed before Niall heard the shower start.

Niall looked around the kitchen with a small pout. He spied two books on the table. They were board books, one an ABC animal picture book and a musical one, that when you pressed the tabs on the side, quiet music notes would play.

Niall picked up both books, tucked them under his arm and carried them down the hall, dummy bobbing under his nose.

Niall listened to the shower running before opening the bathroom door and walking it. He paid no attention to Liam who was washing his hair and singing to himself. Instead he plopped himself down in the middle of the tiles, facing away from Liam and began to look at his books.

Liam rinsed off his hair and turned in the shower, leaning back and opening his eyes. He noticed movement to his right and let out a high pitched scream before he could stop himself.

Niall jumped where he sat and quickly looked over his shoulder at Liam. Liam grabbed for his flannel to try to cover himself before wrenching open the glass shower door and asking, "Niall, why are you in here? I'm trying to shower!"

"I weed." Niall pulled out his dummy and answered, once he figured out that Liam was not in danger after the scream he had let out.

"You what?! You weed? Again?" Liam exclaimed, confusion sliding onto his face.

Niall sighed, frustrated at having to take his dummy out again and said, "Ey-yum showah, Ni weedin."

He held up his ABC book, a cow and a dog on display for Liam to look at, hoping the visual aid would help his explanation.

"Oh, you're reading. Okay, can you do that somewhere else? I'd like to finish my shower." Liam asked, juggling the flannel to stay up as he wiped at his face with one hand, water getting into his eyes and stinging.

"No." Came Niall's response. He turned the page, his focus entirely on his book before saying, "Wownwe. No like."

"What? You said that earlier today and I honestly haven't the slightest idea of what that means." Liam spit out, loosing a little of his patience with the situation and the lack of his privacy.

"Wownwe." Niall repeated, talking around his dummy now, before turning another page and elaborating, "No all wown. Like ta be wound Ey-yum."

"Ohhhh... Lonely. Aright, well just don't peek." Liam tried to finish his shower quickly, watching Niall 'read' his book.

The boy's eyes were too focused on the elephant and flamingo in front of him to notice Liam's uncomfortableness.


	3. Chapter 3

"Niall, you don't need to follow me everywhere. I'm only getting dressed." Liam turns and explains to the younger boy.

Niall had gathered his books and stood to follow Liam as he left the bathroom, Liam's towel tied loosely around his hips.

He walked straight into Liam's chest, not realizing the older boy had stopped and turned to talk to him.

Niall fell back onto his bottom, tears quickly filling his bright blue eyes. The books lay next to him, upside down and opened to random pages.

"Aw, Niall, hey, you're okay. I'm sorry I knocked you down. What's got you so upset? Can't just be falling down, you barely bumped the floor." Liam squatted down, making sure his towel still covered him as he pushed the boy's hair off of his forehead.

"Ouchie. Itchy." Niall responded, wiggling a little and pushing at his crotch.

"Oh, yeah, you've got that rash, I'm going to get dressed quickly and then we can run to the store. Um, maybe we should find you some shoes. I... I think we might be around the same size. I got some Nikes I think will fit you." Liam thought aloud as he inspected Niall's sock covered feet. He looped his hands under Niall's arms and heaved the boy up onto his feet.

"Otay." Niall quietly spoke, rubbing his eyes and the backs of his hands. He bent down to grab his fallen books and followed behind Liam again, giving a few extra steps distance between them this time.

Niall takes a seat on Liam's floor, returning his attention to his books as he waits for the brunette to get dressed.

Liam floats around his room, grabbing for clothes and heads to his closet. He gets dressed in there, feeling as though he should at least attempt to maintain his privacy.

Liam is sliding on his Nike high tops as he leaves the closet, and pulls Niall's attention away from his books by calling out his name.

When the boy looks up he smiles at Liam and turns his book, pointing to a monkey sitting in a tree.

"Yes, very nice monkey, Niall. Let's get you some shoes though, sound good?" Liam turns to go back to the closet and throws two pairs of tennis shoes out and at Niall.

"Try those on!" He shouts, "I think I have an older pair in here that are too small if those ones are too big!"

Niall looks at the pairs of white and black shoes. He looks at his toes, wiggling them before looking at what little portion of Liam's back he can see from in the depths of the closet.

He picks up one white sneaker and places it on the very tip of his right toes and one black sneaker and is trying to get it on his left foot when Liam comes out of the closet, blue canvas shoes in hand.

Liam stands quietly, a small smile dancing on his lips as he watches Niall struggle. Niall is pushing down on the black sneaker, but missing his pinky toe, tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth.

"Hey, can I help you buddy? You've got two different shoes on." Liam asked, pointing at Niall's feet.

Niall bit his lip and nodded, cheeks pinking. Liam kneeled down on the ground next to Niall and took off both sneakers, flipping them around and placing the sole of the white sneaker on the bottom of Niall's foot.

"Nope, too big." The brown eyed man murmured, placing the shoe down and reaching for the black one. He repeated his measuring actions, placing that one down as well when he saw the sneaker was again too big. Liam reached for the light blue Converse sneaker, the canvas dulled with years of dirt caked on.

"There we go, these should fit you. Foot please." Liam decided, tapping the boy's foot while quickly loosening the laces and holding down the tongue. Liam wiggled Niall's feet into both of the sneakers before tying the laces, not even asking Niall to try it.

Standing up, he pulled Niall to his feet and fixed the boy's hair, before catching himself and stumbling over his words. "Um, yeah, sorry, it was just, um, bothering me and um, I, yeah. Let's just go."

Liam quickly made his way down the hall way to the front closet and pulled out a light jacket. He closed the door and began pushing his arms through the sleeves before he stopped. He looked at Niall, swimming in his own clothes. He slowly finished putting his coat on.

The boy did look cute, that's for sure. He shook his head, his thoughts running away without his control. He reopened the closet and pulled out the first jacket he saw, a black zip up hoodie. Again, the boy would be swimming in it, but it would keep him warm and would have to do.

He held the coat out for Niall to slide on and then reached into the small bowl that was resting on a side table next to the front door. He picked up his keys and wallet, sliding the items into his coat's pockets.

Opening the door, he let Niall walk out first before following the boy. The brunette turned, locking his door and stepping up behind Niall.

"You ready, Niall? There's a Tesco just down a couple blocks." Liam tucks his hands in his coat pocket and walks to the sidewalk. Niall is staring up at the sky, watching a cloud float by.

"Niall? Niaaaaaaaalllllll!" Liam calls out, waiting for the boy to respond. It takes him a moment, but eventually Niall looks over at Liam.

"Ey-yum! Choo choo!" Niall toddles towards Liam, eyes still on the sky as he points. Liam sees him tripping before Niall even realizes what is happening.

The brunette catches him as he stumbles on a loose paving stone. "Niall, perhaps it's best to keep your eyes down on the ground, so, you know, you can see where you're walking?" Liam ends up sounding like he's asking a question over making a suggestion.

They continue on their walk to the shop. Niall repeats himself, pointing to the sky with his right hand and hooks his left hand onto Liam's elbow.

They reach the end of their block without any trouble, aside from when Liam had to pull back on Niall to prevent him from continuing on into the traffic filled street. Niall hadn't realized what a crosswalk meant.

They cross the street and Liam's hands go to grab Niall's hand. A vender sits on the corner, balloons and small toys whir to life in front of the man's stand. Liam knows without thinking that Niall will try to go for one of the balloons waving about in the air. The bright colors are enticing to the smaller one's eyes.

Liam pulls on Niall's hand, leaving the boy to sigh and shuffle his feet, slowing their walking pace down quite a bit. When they get to the store entrance, they walk through the automatic doors. Liam let's go of Niall's hand. The boy moves his hand back onto Liam's elbow and follows the older boy as he goes to grab the trolley.

Liam shakes his head as the younger boy stays close, a small smile playing on his lips. Beginning their grocery journey in the fresh produce section, Liam wanders around, pushing the metal cart. He stops by the cartons of strawberries and lifts one up to inspect it. He deems it decent and places it in the trolley.

Liam begins to push the trolley forwards into the vegetables when Niall squeals and grabs for a green carton of bright red raspberries. Niall takes four berries off the top and plops them in his mouth.

Liam's mouth drops open and he springs to grab the fruit out of Niall's hands before he can move to eat more.

"Niall! No! You can't just take food and eat it when you haven't paid for it! That's bad! It's stealing!" Liam admonishes while looking around to see if anyone saw Niall eat the fruit.

When he looks back at Niall, the young boy is frowning, slowly finishing swallowing the fruit he had taken. He looks down at Liam's borrowed shoes and shuffles his feet a bit. He mumbles out a quiet apology.

Liam ignores the boy's words and places the carton of fruit in the trolley, grumbling about how expensive the raspberries are, but they have no other choice than to buy them since Niall already started munching on them.

Niall sniffles and wipes with a fisted hand at his eyes. "Ni says sowwy." Niall grunts with attitude and an over exaggerated frown.

"Niall, don't get pissy with me. Let's just get what we need and get back to my flat." Liam takes a deep breath and begins pushing the trolley through the store. They weave in and out of the aisles, Liam occasional pulling items off the shelves, putting back things Niall grabs and sneaks into the cart.

"But! Ey-yum! Biscuits is yummy!" Niall reasons, moving to stand on the edge of the trolley while Liam continues to push it.

"We already have two kinds of biscuits though, Niall, we don't need three. Let's keep moving. We need to get you some, um," Liam pauses, getting quieter, "some supplies, for you know, your whole..." Liam flails his hands a little bit in the younger boy's direction. "Your whole situation, thing."

"Nappies?" Niall says loudly as Liam pushes the grocery trolley out into the main aisle near the registers. Liam blushes a dark crimson and nods, pushing the carriage faster by a young couple studying an end cap.

They happen to turn into the baby aisle, Niall's eyes widening at all the bright playful colors and packages marketed for young minds.

Liam wishes he could sail right through this aisle like lightening, however he would prefer limiting the amount of times he has to do this so he takes his time moseying down the aisle, making sure he doesn't miss anything essential.

Liam is standing in front of the shelves filled with nappies. He doesn't see the kind Zayn brought him. Brown eyes scan the plastic packages. Tabs, styles, absorbencies and sizes differ.

"Niall, which one do you need?" Liam takes a chance asking the younger boy.

"Dunno." Niall responds, turning and walking to the other side of the aisle and begins to look at the plastic sacks of bath toys. He reaches up for a bag that includes a few ocean animals as well as some boats. He stands on a low shelf trying to reach it.

"Oopsies." Niall whispers when the bag slips out of his hand and knocks a bottle of bubble bath over to the floor.

It doesn't spill so Liam just picks it up and grabs the bag of bath toys as well. Niall looks at him with large blue eyes and begins to jump up and down in a dance when Liam places both items in the trolley.

Liam sighs and turns back to the wall of nappies. He walks slowly and scans the packages. He sees a similar style nappy, one with tabs that pull off and can be attached to the front and looks for what he thinks might be Niall's size, only to realize they only go up to size 7.

Niall definitely weighs more than 19 kilograms. He frowns and walks further down the aisle. Liam notices the nappy rash cream and looks for the highest strength, looking up reviews on his phone.

Finally Liam decides on a particular box and places it in the trolley. He also grabs a few plastic plates and rubberized utensils for Niall.

"Hey, Niall, which bowl set do you want?" Liam holds up a superhero bowl and a sports themed bowl.

Niall looks up from the small stuffed monkey he is holding in his hands. "Baw." Niall states and walks over to Liam. He quietly raises the animal and whispers a "Peas Ey-yum?"

Niall blinks owlishly at Liam, the small plush monkey staring back at Liam with black beady eyes, red tshirt adorning the monkey's warm brown fur.

"Yeah, alright. Put'im in." Liam says after a moment, waiting for the stuffed animal to be dropped in next to the supplies they've collected.

Instead Niall clings to the monkey, tears quickly welling in his eyes and dragging down his face. His cheeks quickly turn pink as he cries out, "Noooooooooo!" And stomps his little feet on the tile.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Niall, what the-" Liam is baffled as he watches the blonde have a meltdown in the middle of the aisle. Niall continues to stomp his feet, cries turning into screams as he gets more worked up.

Liam takes a step forwards to try and calm the boy but Niall turns his body and cries out louder, squeezing the soft toy in his arms.

Liam notices as a few shoppers stop at the ends of the aisle and watch the scene unfold in front of them. Liam is panicking, sweat prickling at the nap of his neck.

"Niall! Stop, you're fine! What is wrong!? Hey, hey, stop for a moment, I don't understand what you need!" Liam's voice escalates as he tries to understand the problem. He reaches out to try to pat the boy on the back, hoping to comfort him and calm him down.

Niall's knees buckle and he drops to the floor, clinging to the monkey and crying out, "Noooo! Mine! Is mine! Peas, Ey-yum, you say mine!"

Liam raises one eyebrow, processing what the younger boy just told him. He looks down at the crowds gathering at either end of the aisle. He crouches down to talk softly to Niall, realizing what the boy has been trying to tell him.

"Niall, you can hold Curious George. It's okay, he's yours, you're right. You don't have to put him in the trolley if you don't want to." Liam moves his hands slowly to Niall's face, wiping away the boy's tears when Niall doesn't shy away from him.

"Mine. Mine George." Niall repeats, face swollen from his emotions. His nose is running and he wipes it on the sleeve of Liam's borrowed hoodie.

"Yes, he's yours, buddy, you're right. Let's stand up, yea? I think I see some sippy cups over here and then maybe we can take a look down the ice cream aisle. What do you say?" Liam drawls soothingly.

He pulls Niall up to stand with him and brushes off his joggers. George is held tightly within Niall's arms as the boy sniffles and looks at where Liam is pointing.

Niall points to a couple of different plastic lidded cups and Liam grabs them all. He may feel just a little bit guilty for causing the outburst from Niall.

Liam continues down the aisle, pulling off more plate and bowl sets, grabbing another package of wipes and then hesitates when he reaches the end of the aisle.

Some toys and juvenile art sets are displayed on the shelves. Niall quickly gravitates towards a coloring book with Curious George on it.

He is staring at the cover of the coloring book before looking down at the stuffed monkey in his hands. "Wow..." He whispers to himself.

Liam smirks behind the boy and gently brushes up against his back as he reaches past Niall to pick up the coloring book. He also grabs a large box of crayons and washable markers.

While Liam is looking down at a couple of puzzles, Niall talks softly to his George, letting the monkey dance over the metal rim of the trolley.

"Hey, Niall, what else do you think you'll need? I think we got most of the important stuff." Liam is sorting through what he's placed in the carriage. He doesn't get a response from the blonde.

"Ni...?" The boy's name dies on Liam's lips when he looks around to see that he is by himself in the aisle.

Liam spins in a circle for a moment, before spinning in the opposite direction, half hoping that the boy just happens to be behind him, spinning in the same direction he had been going in.

Realizing that Niall is somewhere alone draws an unnerving buzz that begins to form in his stomach and climb up his throat. He croaks out a scratchy, "Niall?!"

He goes to the end of the aisle and looks around in either direction. He calls out the boy's name again, hoping that he gets a response. When all he can hear is the scraping of trolley wheels and low elevator style music, he begins to panic.

The trolley is left forgotten in the baby aisle as Liam scans from left to right. He takes a chance and begins to walk briskly at the end of the aisles, peering down each as he passes them. His speed increases as each aisle is empty or filled with people that are definitely not Niall.

He gets to the second to last aisle and sees it empty except for an open freezer door. He bites at his lip and doesn't think twice about it, quickly running to the last aisle. Empty as well. "Shit, how do I tell Zayn I already lost him!" Liam groans, turning to double back.

"Wait..." Liam whispers to himself, reading the hanging signs over the freezer doors. The empty aisle with the open door is in the ice cream section. No feet are standing where you would typically see feet.

Liam takes half a second to decide it's worth a chance to look. He hightails it to the open door and hears a couple of grunts as he gets closer.

The door has been open for so long the glass has frosted over. He doesn't see anything until he is directly standing in front of it. Niall's kneeling in the freezer, with a couple of cartons of various ice cream flavors toppled over by his knees. He is attempting to pry open a half gallon of ice cream before he gives up and drops it to land with the other discarded flavors. He begins to reach for another one when Liam startles him by exclaiming, "Niall! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Niall jumps and turns, looking over his shoulder to see the older boy with a fuming expression on his face. "Ey-yum, dey boken." Niall says innocently. Liam breathes out a frustrated breath and grabs the boy, pulling him in for a hug.

Niall struggles in the older one's grip, confused about why he's being hugged. Liam has his eyes closed as he breathes in the scent of Niall, the boy's clean soft hair tickling his nose. "Lego, Ey-yum, lego!" Niall quips, wiggling to be put down.

"Niall," Liam begins, "you have to stay with me when we're out. You scared me, I was so worried that I lost you!" When Liam lets go and Niall has his feet on the ground again, he keeps his hands lightly on the boy's shoulders.

Niall quirks his head to the side. "Ni no lawst. Mine righ here. Get icekeam, buh icekeam boken." He points to the ice cream in the freezer and tries to go back into the freezer.

"No, Niall, you stay with me. You don't crawl in freezers. You could hurt your fingers or something. They'd probably fall off." Liam says sarcastically. He goes to hold Niall's hand when the boy screeches and lunges for the freezer, digging around at the bottom of the freezer.

"George! George! Oh, mine monkey! You otay?" Liam watches as Niall hugs the stuffed animal and then holds it out for Liam to inspect.

"George otay, Ey-yum?" He questions, hysterics just on the edge of his words.

Liam plays along and turns Curious George around, inspecting his toes and fingers, noticing the monkey has no tail. He decides against raising this point to Niall, as he is sure the boy will think it's fallen off into the freezer. Liam really does not feel like digging through a cold freezer for a non-existent tail.

"He's going to make a full recovery, Niall. Can we finish up our shopping now? With you staying right by my side." Liam asks, raising both eyebrows at the smaller boy.

Niall is hugging the toy, swaying back and forth. "Otay. Ey-yum gets icekeam?" He asks, muffled by the plush toy being in front of his mouth.

Liam nods and moves forward, picking up the flavors Niall had dropped, saving the cookies and cream flavor for last, intending on putting it in their trolley, once they get back to it.

"No! Dat boken! No open, Ey-yum." Niall explains, trying to take the cold treat and place it back on the frosted shelf.

Liam chuckles, "No, Niall, it's not broken because you couldn't open it. It's sealed. You have to take the plastic wrapper off of it."

"Now? Ey-yum do nows?" Niall asks, bouncing on his toes.

"No, we have to wait till we buy it!" Liam laughs. He adds, "And in my flat, after lunch."

Niall pouts and dramatically sighs, his head falling back with his chin in the air.

"We're almost done. Let's go get the trolley. C'mon now." Liam tugs on Niall's elbow to get him to follow. He guides Niall back to the baby aisle where they left the cart, keeping his hand on the boy's elbow.

They finish their shopping making sure to stock up on the essentials. Niall convinces Liam to get lots of macaroni and cheese, hotdogs (but no buns) and peanut butter sandwich supplies.

Niall insists on bananas for George, and Liam agrees because they're on sale, so he really can't argue.

When they reach the check out, there is a young woman scanning the goods and placing them into bags. Liam has to rip off Curious George's tag so the lady can scan it.

Niall's grip on the toy is unreal.

The brunette avoids making eye contact as he pays and shuffles all the bags into one hand. He pulls on Niall's elbow to lead him out of the store. Their walk back is stressful for Liam, the boy is so hyper-focused on his new monkey that he isn't paying attention to where he is going or what he is walking into.

They make it back to Liam's flat in one piece. Niall pulls his shoes off and leave them in the middle of the walkway. He makes himself comfortable on the kitchen floor with George. "Ey-yum? Where book?" He calls out.

Liam is putting away the cold groceries first, and pauses for a moment to question, "Which one?"

"George one." Niall states, sitting up straight so he can make eye contact with the brunette, over the top of the counter.

"Oh. Your coloring book? It's um... right here!" Liam holds the Curious George coloring book out. He digs a little further into his bag and finds the markers and crayons he bought.

He passes all three items to Niall before turning and finishing up with the groceries. He checks the time on his cellphone and notices a text from Zayn.

*How goes it with the tyke?*

Liam blushes at his friend's words. He types back after checking on what Niall is doing.

*He's busy coloring. Ventured out to Tescos. Never again. Had a meltdown over a stuffed monkey and lost him for a bit.*

Without waiting for a response he sends another text. *Think the police dept would reimburse me? Had to buy a bunch of supplies for Ni.*

Zayn texts back, *Ur braver than me! How'd u lose him?*

Then again, *Save ur receipts. I can get ur ££ back.*  
  
Liam is in the middle of trying to explain how he lost the boy when another two texts come in. The first one is Zayn again. *Ni, huh? Already have cute little nicknames for him? :P aha*

Liam blushes and stumbles to think of a good response. *It's what he calls himself* is all he can muster.

He checks his inbox and sees a message from an unsaved number. *Oi mate it's Louis. Lost me phone last night at the club so this is my new number. Kno u were worried bout my wellbeing so figured I'd let u kno where I've been. Club tonight?*

Liam rolls his eyes at Louis' typical behavior and responds. *Hey mate glad ur ok. Can't do tonight. Maybe next time!*

Louis writes back immediately, *so it's true ur on babysitting duty?*

Liam frowns and checks on Niall when he hears a loud giggle. The boy is showing his George a page in the book. Liam goes back to his phone.

*What makes u say that?*

Liam's phone is quiet for a moment before buzzing. He reads the text from Zayn first, *suuuuuuuure. Want me to swing by later?*

Liam responds, *sure* before tapping over to Louis' text message. *Zayn man. Said he dropped off a kid for u to take care of. Want me and H to swing by and help? We love babies*

Liam frowns at the screen. He texts back, *um, idk, what did Z tell u?*

Liam reads the response that comes in. *Just that the kid needed place to stay. Oh and he weed in ur guest bed. Haha what were u thinkin? Course little babies need nappies!*

*Um, maybe u can visit in a couple days, he's still adjusting.*

Liam sets his phone onto the counter. He looks down at Niall. The boy grabs his crotch and pushes at it. Discomfort floats across his face. He looks up at Liam and moans a pathetic, "Owchie."

"I know, Niall, let's get you changed and put some of this cream on you. Let's go to um, the bathroom I guess." Liam rubs at the back of his head.

Liam gathers up the needed supplies and heads to the bathroom. He sets them on the ground and sidesteps Niall to go to the hallway, leaving the boy clutching his George and looking slightly nervous.

Liam is back a moment later and folds the towel in half, before laying it on the floor. "Alright, um, can you lay down for me?"

Niall looks at Liam and then lowers his eyes to the towel, nuzzling George before he does what the older boy asked of him.

Liam pulls down the borrowed joggers and untapes the tabs of Niall's nappy. The diaper is heavy and falls forward with very little tugging from Liam. Liam tries to disguise his face so the smaller boy can't tell, but his groin is looking very painful. He bites his lip and tries to paint on a smile.

"Ok, Ni, I'm um, is it okay if I call you that? Do you mind?" Liam asks the boy as he pulls out a couple of wipes from the container, trying to make conversation. Niall nods and spreads his knees a little as Liam presses on them, wipe in hand. Liam starts wiping at the crease between Niall's lower stomach and hips.

Niall begins to whimper as Liam closes in on the red area around the boy's penis and testicles. "I know, Ni, it's almost over though, okay?"

When Liam asks him to lift his legs so Liam can wipe his bottom, the tears start falling and quickly turn into Niall wiggling to get away from Liam's hand and wipe.

"No! No, Ey-yum! Owwwwwwie, noooooooo!" Niall cries out, pushing away the older boy's hand and he turns his body away, hanging off the towel and over the cold tile.

"Alright, buddy, alright we're done with the wipe, okay? See? I'm throwing it away." Liam explains, showing as he places the dirty wipe on top of the used nappy. He reaches for a new nappy and unfolds it.

"Lift up, love." Liam says without thinking. The boy lifts his bottom up, tears still falling, as Liam blushes over his own words.

Liam continues on, moving to open the box of nappy rash cream. The large tub falls out and Liam peels off the lid. He looks at Niall's red crotch before looking back at the tub of cool white cream. He looks down at his hands and then back at Niall's groin again.

"Well, I didn't think one through very well. I, um, yeah, sorry bout this." He mumbles, before scooping out a large dollop of rash cream and asks Niall to lift his legs into the air. Niall begins sobbing as Liam moves to rub the cream into Niall's bottom. He ends up having to use his left arm to keep the boy's legs still and tries to quickly wipe and spread the cream over the dark pink skin.

Liam dips his hand in the tub for more cream and continues to spread it, clenching his jaw as he approaches the boy's balls and penis. Niall is still sobbing, beginning to cry out, "Mumma! Wan mine Mumma! Peas, my Mumma, wan her! Mumma! Mumma, haaalp!"

Liam sniffles a little, the little boy's words hitting him hard and finishes applying the cream. He wipes his hand on the towel and tapes the tabs up, pulling Niall into his lap, rocking him back and forth, trying to hush and comfort the boy.

"Okay, I know, I know love, okay, it's alright, it's all over, it's okay love. Shhhh." Liam whispers, pressing his lips to the top of Niall's head, the younger boy's nose pressed into his neck.

"Mumma, wan Mumma! Ey-yum, wan mine Mumma!" Niall cries harder, chest heaving as he clings to the older boy, seeking comfort.

"I know, she's not here right now, love. But it's going to be alright, I've got you, Liam's got you." Liam's voice cracks as he kisses the boy's sweaty head. He continues to rock him until the boy has calmed down to sniffling and short gentle shakes.

Liam let's a few more minutes go by before he leans Niall back in his arms. He is still awake, but blinking slowly, as if just a few more minutes could send him into dreamland.

"Niall? How about we get off the floor and move to the living room? We can find something for you to watch on the telly?" Liam asks gently. Niall's reaction is to cling harder at Liam's shirt, the rate of his breathing increasing.

"I'll stay with you, don't worry, I'll stay with you. I have to grab my laptop and get some work done, but I'll be with you." Liam reassures the younger boy.

Liam helps the clingy boy stand and put away all the nappy supplies. Liam rolls up the towel and places it in a hamper near the sink.

When Liam looks back at the boy, he realizes he never pulled up the grey joggers. He leans down to fix the boy's sweatpants and then motions for him to follow. He hears a -plop!- sound and looks back at Niall.

He's sitting on the ground sniffling and hugging George, one hand rubbing at his eyes. "Uppie?" He croaks when he looks up at Liam. He stretches both hands up and out towards the older boy.

Liam sighs and agrees quietly, bending and lifting the boy with his legs. Niall quickly wraps his legs around Liam's waist, tucking George in between their two chests and lays his head on Liam's left shoulder, tucking his face in to the right so he's nuzzling Liam's neck. The brunette settles his hands under Niall's bottom and pats him on the back, moving to leave the bathroom.

"You're going to be okay." He whispers.

  
:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

 

Niall blinks slow and heavy as he watches the characters sing and move across the screen.

He shifts under the blanket Liam placed over him. The boy's fingers wiggle under the pillow propping up his head against Liam's side, until the boy feels Liam's warm thigh. He pushes further until they are seated beneath the older one's leg. He stops moving so much once he feels a physical connection with Liam.

Niall watches as the Disney movie plays sad music, the main character realizing he's all alone in the world without any family. Niall starts sniffling. Liam's finger clack across the keys of his laptop. He hits save on the document he is preparing and looks down at Niall.

He brushes a hand through the boy's hair and smiles at the snuggled up boy laying down next to him. He freezes when he sees the tears welling in the boy's blue eyes. He asks gently, "Hey, Niall? What's wrong? You okay?"

A sob slips out of the boy's mouth and he props himself up on his elbow. Looking up at Liam, Niall blurts out, "Stitch wownwe! No pamilee. Ni wownwe, where mine Mumma and Da?"

Liam's eyes turn into brown saucers. He's fumbling over his words, not having given a single thought over how he'd handle this conversation.

"I, uh, um. Well, I'm not um, just, just hang on a mo, I've got to ring Zayn. Don't move." Liam stutters out, before placing his laptop on the table, grabbing for his cell and racing down the hall to make a phone call.

It rings for a few moments before the darker haired man answers. "'Lo?"

"Zayn! You need to get over here now, I-" Liam is cut off.

"Listen, Liam, you'll be fine with the kid. You can handle him. Just make sure you change his nappy and offer a bottle every once in a while! No need to call me over every little panicky issue you have." Zayn grumbled.

"No! You don't understand," Liam exasperated by Zayn's quick dismissal. He continues, "Niall's crying for his mum and dad. I don't know what to tell him! How do I tell the kid that his parents probably killed themselves and or each other and now he's got absolutely no one!"

"Shit. Shit, shit. Oh bloody fucking bollocks. Come here Ni, no no, come on-" Zayn hears before a loud crash and mumbled voices continue in the background.

Zayn hangs up, assuming that Niall overheard their conversation again and Liam ended up dropping the phone in the process.

He scratches his chin and climbs out of his bed. He pulls on a pair of jeans and an older hoodie before heading to his door. Slipping on tennis shoes he heads to the closest tube station entrance.

Fifteen minutes and two stops later he steps out down the block from Liam's flat. Jogging the rest of the way he knocks loudly on his friend's flat door.

Zayn can hear the sobs and Liam's voice completely stressed out as he tries to hush the younger boy. When Liam pulls open the door, he gives a sympathetic frown towards the two males. Liam is holding Niall in his arms, the younger boy's face flushed and wet, pressing into the older one's neck, his hand grabbing desperately at Liam's chest. The red tshirt is wrinkled and a little darker, damp from the boy's clammy hands.

Liam's eyes say it all as he waves Zayn in and turns, rocking and swaying to comfort Niall. He waits for Zayn to close the front door before saying an unneeded, "I don't know what to do, Zee!"

Zayn nods and points to the couch the two were sitting on, movie still playing in the background. He's done some research and talked to the department's on site psychologist. He presses the off button on the television and lets Niall and Liam get situated on the couch before he gently sits on the coffee table.

Zayn gives a small chuckle at how Liam fusses over Niall, patting and tugging on the boy's clothes, stopping every few moments to wipe away tears or out of place hair strands.

"Niall, can you turn around for me? I'd like to talk to you and hopefully answer the questions you have." Zayn encourages, speaking in a gentle, but firm voice.

Niall shakes his head and pushes harder into Liam's neck with his nose, smearing a few sticky strings of snot across the older one's skin. Liam ignores it and looks at Zayn, eyes pleading.

"Niall, I know you're probably not going to want to hear this but, I need for you to be big right now." Zayn says with finality.

Liam quirks one eyebrow and meets Zayn's eyes, questions written all over his face. Zayn holds up a finger, telling Liam to silently wait. He pushes Niall again. "Niall, you need to be big. Liam and I have some things that we need to discuss. You need to be big to have this discussion. You're completely safe, Niall. No one will harm you or frighten you."

Zayn waits a couple moments, watching as Niall slowly pulls his face away from Liam's neck. He won't make eye contact with Zayn yet.

"Liam, reassure him he's safe." Zayn requests.

Liam swallows, unsure of how he can do that before giving it a try. "Ni? You're okay. I'm right here with you. You're safe, I won't let anything happen to you. I've got you, love, you can do it, you can be...'big'. You can do it. I'm right here with you. I'm not going anywhere. You're safe. I'll keep you safe." When Liam finishes, he looks at Zayn, hoping he helped some.

Zayn's got a small smile on his face, it having slipped up there when he heard Liam call the boy, 'love'. He nods and then lowers his head a little and turns it to the side so he can make eye contact with Niall.

"Niall? Can we talk now?" Zayn asks patiently.

Niall swallows and lifts a hand to rub at his eyes. He goes to wipe his nose but Liam beats him to it, using the bottom of his own shirt to clean Niall's upper lip.

"Yes. We can talk now."

Liam's jaw drops. He's stunned at how Niall's voice sounds foreign to his ears.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So originally this chapter was longer... Like 7500 words and I decided to make it into two because I'm not done with the scene and it would have been like 10,000 words long. So another chapter will be coming soon!

 

 

"Holy fucking shit." 

Niall and Zayn look at Liam. 

Liam turned his attention to his friend. "He can talk! Like....like us! He can talk normal! Oh my god. Zee.... How did you do that? You fixed him!" Liam exclaimed.

The younger boy wiggled in his lap. Zayn chuckled and explained. "Well, I was talking with the department psychologist and I've been in contact with Niall's social worker. They explained a lot."

"Right now, though, is about Niall. Niall, how are you feeling right now? You feel safe?" Zayn asked, making certain of the boy's wellbeing. 

The boy nodded and fidgeted on Liam's lap. Liam blushes a little bit, realizing his had a sixteen year old boy sitting in his lap and it really was no longer appropriate. 

He moved to slide Niall onto the couch next to him. The blonde whimpered and held tightly into the older one's tshirt. He shook his head and whispered, "No, please, I want to stay right here, Liam."

Liam nodded dumbly, shocked by how perfect Niall's language was, how he correctly pronounced his name. 

Zayn waited a moment before speaking again. "So, Niall, if it's alright with you, I'd like to explain a little bit of what's going on to Liam."

Niall shifted, a flush rolling onto his cheeks as he nodded. Zayn begins to explain, "Alright, so, Liam, you've already figured out that Niall is different than your average sixteen year old. Our records show that Niall was adopted by the Horans at age eight. He lived with them for about a year before they adopted him. There's no record of his biological parents." 

The dark haired man is interrupted by the boy. "She was too young. That's what I was told. My biological mom was too young and couldn't take care of me. She tried and it was too much. I think I was told her name was Meaghan." Niall frowns down at his hands. 

Zayn fills in the gaps. "He was nine days old when he was entered into the system."

Liam scoffs, moving to wrap his arms around Niall's waist. "Doesn't seem like she tried very hard, nine days old, Christ."

Zayn meets Niall's eyes before moving on. "So, Niall gets bounced around from foster family to foster family, he had some medical issues from birth."

"I couldn't be potty trained like normal children. It was stressful for the adults taking care of me. They didn't figure out it was a medical thing until I was nine years old." Niall explains, leaning forwards to pick George up from the ground. He fiddles with the soft toy before placing it next to him and Liam. 

"I had a stutter when I was little and I mean, I got it under control but it coincided with something called um, enur... Um... Enur..." Niall looked to Zayn for help.

"Enuresis." Zayn gave the boy the word. Upon Liam's confused expression he continued to explain it. "Basically it's the loss of the ability to hold your bladder. Typically it coincides with children that have speech impediments but, usually only effect them overnight when they're not conscious. Usually they grow out of it. Niall here has a very severe case of it." 

Liam looked at Niall, his cheeks were bright red and he refused to make eye contact. Liam tried tipping the boy's chin to have Niall look at him but Niall just closed his eyes. Niall bit his lip, trying to ignore he burning in his eyes. 

"Hey, Niall, you know that doesn't bother me, right? You can't help it. I get that it's out of your control." Liam reassures the boy. Niall began to have tears slip down his cheeks. He tried to stand up and move off of the older one's lap. 

"Hey, Ni, come on. What's wrong?" Liam held tighter onto the boy as he spoke, finally getting it when the boy's bottom became warm. Tears slipped down Niall's cheeks. 

"When...when I'm big I get a little warning that I have to... to go. I never make it to the loo in time though." Niall sobbed, still trying to turn away from Liam. 

Liam felt his lap grow warm, the younger boy having used his nappy. Niall squeaked out an apology and finally wiggled free, running away down the hall to the bathroom. 

Liam rubbed his hands over the top of his head and looked at Zayn. "Zee, how did you know he could go from being like a baby to being, what did you call it? 'Big?' How'd you know?"

"I talked with the department's psychologist after I made contact with his social worker. Her names Eleanor, she knew a bit about what the Horans were doing. It was actually helping him. He struggled with other families, one family actually physically and mentally abused him. Had a huge hospital record a kilometer long." Zayn shook his head and sighed. 

"Fuck. Maybe that's why he was flinching yesterday over dropping shit. I think he thought I was going to hurt him or something." Liam groaned at the thought of someone hurting Niall. His ba- no, not his anything. Liam shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. 

There was a small frustrated scream that carried down the hall. Liam stood immediately, mumbling that he would be right back to Zayn. 

Standing outside the bathroom, Liam listened through the door. There was a grunting sound and a whine before a -thunk!- noise that hits the door. 

Liam bites his lip before he decides the hell with it and knocks on the bathroom door. "Niall? You alright in there?"

Liam hears only his own breaths before a small "I'm fine," comes through the door. 

Liam asks, placing his hand on the doorknob, "Can I come in? I'd like to help you."

"I'm fine!" Niall repeats. Liam turns the knob and it opens, the older one pushing the door open slowly, waiting for Niall to shout at him to get out. 

Liam's heart breaks when he sees the younger boy. Niall is standing with his joggers around his ankles, trying to pull at the tabs of his nappy. He's gotten one off and he's struggling to get the other one, the nappy drooping and sagging all the while his hands shaking. 

"Oh, Niall, let me help you, love." Liam whispers, not daring to go any louder for fear of spooking the boy. 

The dam bursts and the tears start cascading down Niall's rosy cheeks. Liam collects the boy into his arms and presses his lips to the boy's temple, running a calming hand up and down the heaving back. 

"Shhhh, it's okay, Niall. Everything's okay. Let me help you, alright? That's what I'm here for. I can help you." Liam talks softly still, brushing the boy's hair off his forehead as he tries to look at the little one's face. 

Niall pulled away and sank his head into Liam's shoulder, facing his pink cheeks away from the older one's neck. Liam's hand rubbed up and down the shaking spine of Niall. He turned slightly and watched Niall's reflection silently in the bathroom mirror. The boy's bottom lip wavered as he tried to hold in his emotions. 

Liam's hazel eyes caught Niall's blue ones. Liam held the boy's eyes as he leaned forwards and pressed a kiss to the back of Niall's head. "Ready love?" He asked, waiting for Niall to nod. 

Liam helps Niall lay down on the new towel Niall had put on the ground. Liam takes off the used nappy and rolls it up, placing it off to the side. Liam stretches to reach for the package of nappies and wipes that Niall had thrown in frustration. 

He takes a deep breath before biting his lip. He begins wiping Niall's crotch and lifts his legs to clean his bottom. The cries morph into screams as Niall's irritated bottom is touched. Liam frowns and rubs the boy's calf, silently saying it was almost over. 

He has to get the nappy rash cream off the sink counter. He stands up and moves to walk around the laying boy when a small shaking hand grabs for his ankle. The look on Niall's face breaks his heart further. It's fear and anxiety all mixed into one. 

"Hey, relax, I'm just going to get your cream. We have to put it on so your bottom heals." Liam explains, continuing on when Niall nods and let's go. 

Liam kneels down with Niall's legs bent in front of his. He scoops the cold cream into his hand and takes another deep breath. He asks Niall to lift his legs and he makes quick work of covering the boy's bottom in white paste. 

Niall is still whimpering when Liam finishes attaching the last tab and asks Niall to lift his bottom up. Liam quickly pulls up the boy's sweatpants and moves to take Niall's hands. He helps the boy stand up and pulls him into a hug. 

"Th-thank you, Liam." Niall stutters out. Liam freezes for a moment, having forgotten that this Niall was Big Niall, not Little Niall. Liam lets go and takes a step back from the younger one.

Niall frowns and follows Liam, hugging the older one again and nuzzling his nose into Liam's neck. Niall asked after a moment, "Will... will you hold me, Liam? I just... I just needs some hugs, I think."

Liam nods, and squats to lift Niall into his arms. Niall wraps his arms around Liam's neck as the older one locks his hands under the boy's bottom. 

Liam carries Niall back out to the living room and sits on the couch. Niall stays in his lap but folds his legs up so that he can still cuddle into Liam, chest to chest. 

Zayn sits quietly on the armchair he moved to when Liam took off after Niall. He has his left hand covering his mouth as he looks on with critical eyes. "Is he back to being little?" Zayn asks. 

Liam shakes his head. "No, he's still big. Just was a little upset and needed a cuddle, I suppose."

Liam rubs the boy's back one more time before leaning to the side as he pulls on Niall's body, turning the boy to sit sideways on his lap. Niall reaches for Liam's hand and begins to play with the other's fingers. 

"Niall," Zayn begins, "I want you to know that I want to help you in any way I can. Don't be afraid to ask for help or whatever it is that you need."

Niall looks at Zayn silently before going back to play with Liam's fingers. Zayn continues. "So, I have some sad news to tell you about your Mum and Dad, Niall."

Niall looks up again at Zayn. The man steels his face and thinks for a moment on how to tell the news to the boy. Like a bandaid, he thinks. "Niall, your Mum and Dad are no longer alive, I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this. We're not exactly sure how it happened. The police, that's what I do, I'm a police officer, we're investigating it as a murder suicide, a possible double homicide, with tampering of evidence. Your home was destroyed by a gas explosion, we got you out just in time."

Zayn pauses and let's the information soak in. Niall simply sits there, blinking and staring at the floor. Slowly, tears well in his eyes and he curls into Liam. Liam is wiping his own cheeks, having known all along what had happened, but to hear how it effects he boy in his lap is heartbreaking.

"George. Wan George, Ey-yum." Niall chokes out, pressing his face further into the older boy's neck. Liam's eyes flicker up to Zayn, catching his friend's warm eyes. 

Liam leans over with Niall, reaching for the stuffed monkey on the ground where it landed after it fell. He rubs the boy's back and murmurs soft reassurances into his ear. 

When the two older men catch each other's eyes, Zayn explains the sudden change in vocabulary. "He's gone back to being little. Eleanor said it happens when he's stressed or scared. If he doesn't feel comfortable with what is happening, he becomes little. But sometimes Littles prefer to be little, from what Eleanor was saying Niall preferred to spend most of his time with the Horans being Little." 

Liam nodded, it made sense, he supposed. Niall clung to him, George tightly held in his fist as the boy wiggled to get closer. "Niall, I've got you. You're okay." 

"Ni hungee. Wan yunch." Niall responded, ignoring Liam's words of comfort. 

Liam sighed and agreed, standing up and trying to separate himself from Niall. Niall wasn't having it though. He whined and grabbed for Liam. The older man tried detangling the younger one's quick moving hands only to be gripped tightly all over again. Liam looked to Zayn and asked for help silently, raising his eyebrows and looking pointedly at the younger boy. 

"Hey, Niall, how about I hang out with you instead while Liam gets your lunch ready? That sounds like fun, right?" Zayn asked, using his super sweet voice he typically only reserved for young children he met while being a police officer. He pried the boy's fingers off of Liam's arm and tried to hold him like he had the previous night. 

"Nooooooowah! Mine Ey-yum! Go wid mine Ey-yum! Go go go!" Niall cries, getting more worked up as the seconds passed. Zayn finally gave up once Liam was out of eyesight and gently let go of the crying boy, letting him slide to the floor as he melted down. 

Zayn quietly gasped as he watched the younger boy. Niall began to quickly make his way into the kitchen, following the older man's path. The thing that shocked Zayn was the fact that Niall wasn't using his feet to get there. He was crawling on his hands and knees, still crying out a garbled "Ey-yum! Ey-yum!"

When Niall was out of sight, Zayn shook his head and followed, muttering to himself, "Man, Liam's got his hands full with this one!"

Liam was at the counter slicing strawberries and placing them on the sectioned toddler plate he had purchased at the store. He reached for the wheat bread when he felt a tugging on his joggers. Looking down he was surprised to see Niall on the floor, eyes still wet and dreary. 

"Niall, what are you doing down there? Come on, off the floor, go wash your hands. I have a yummy sandwich and fruit nearly ready for you." Liam faked excitement over the boy's lunch, hoping to ignore the boy's anxious behavior. 

Niall had only come to him last night, surely an attachment that severe, that quickly, was unhealthy. 

Niall wrapped his arms around Liam's left leg and let out a whine. He raises both arms and grunted at the man before him. 

Liam quirked his head and turned to look back over his shoulder to Zayn. He raised an eyebrow before looking back down at the boy on his knees next to him. 

"One moment, Ni, the foods not quite ready yet. Still have to get the peanut butter." Liam took a step to the right, his left leg dragging as Niall clung to it. He opened the pantry cabinet and took out the newly bought peanut butter. 

He opened the container and dipped the butter knife into the spread. Slopping the peanut butter over the bread, he placed another slice of wheat bread on top. 

He looked down at Niall, who had since placed his diapered bottom on Liam's sock covered foot. He chuckled and began to cut off the crusts, figuring he wouldn't even bother trying to see if the boy would eat them. 

"Niall, ready to eat? I bet your hungry." He goes to move the boy's plate to the kitchen table. Niall whined and pulled tighter on the soft joggers. They began to slip down from Liam's waist. "Hey, hey, hey! Niall, that's enough. Let's eat. C'mon, love."

Liam left the plate on the counter and pulled up his sweatpants. He squatted down to Niall's level. "Niall, love, why aren't you using your words?" Liam questioned, running his fingers through the top of Niall's fluffy hair. 

"Nnnnngggghh." Niall moans, lifting his arms up and looking at the older boy with big, pleading blue eyes. 

Liam sighed and dropped his head, rolling his neck. He looked back at Niall, who's bottom lip was wiggling and nostrils beginning to shake. Liam reached out and stood up, lifting Niall onto his hip. 

"Hey Zee, can you grab his plate." Liam asked, adding on, "There's also a bottle in the cabinet where I keep the glasses. Can you fill it with um, Ni, what do you want to drink?"

"Moooooknnmmgh." Niall babbled, resting his head on the older man's shoulder as he fisted the fabric of Liam's sleeve. 

Zayn grabbed Niall's plate, placing it silently on the table in front of the chair Liam was trying to wrestle Niall into. He went to the cabinet to get the empty bottle and turned to Liam. "What did he say he wanted?" Zayn asked. 

Liam shrugged and looked at Zayn. "How should I know? Just give him some milk. He liked that yesterday." Liam looked to the boy who was refusing to sit in his seat. Every time Liam would get Niall's bottom to sit in the chair, the boy's legs would wrap around Liam's waist. Niall would then use his body weight to pull Liam close, arching his back and reattaching his arms tightly to Liam's chest. "Niall, what's going on? Stop it, it's time to eat your lunch. You need to sit down."

Niall let out a howling cry, struggling against the older one. Liam groaned as a flying limb hit him in the crotch. "Dammit, Niall! That's enough! Stop it, right now!" Liam shouted, finally getting Niall to sit down and let go, shock evident after having the older man's voice raised at him. 

Niall's fingers were in front of his mouth, shaking as he looked up and met Liam's frustrated brown eyes. Liam took a deep breath, turned to speak to Zayn and said, "I need a moment to go use the bathroom and cool off. Can you please make sure he eats?"

Liam didn't even wait for a response before he turned away, ignoring the two sets of eyes who followed his every move. One set were filled with caution, one set filled with tears. 

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

A half hour later, Liam leaves his bedroom, having needed a little bit of time to sort through his thoughts after using the toilet. This rollercoaster of emotions from Niall was a little much at first but he thinks he may have figured a few things out while he was by himself. 

When Niall feels safe, he becomes what Zayn called, "big". So it makes sense that right after Zayn explained what happened to Niall's adoptive parents, that he would be "little". However, Niall seemed to be acting even younger than yesterday when the boy first arrived. He wasn't using words and was extremely clingy with Liam, extremely anxious at the idea of being separated from the older man. 

He still sought Liam's comfort, even after knowing that Zayn was a police officer and essentially having been the one that saved the boy from the explosion. What made him better in Niall's eyes over Zayn? Why would he be willing to trust anyone at this point?

Liam walked down the hallway and peeked his head in the kitchen. The room was empty, the bottle of milk left untouched on the counter. At the table sat Niall's lunch, not a bite taken. 

Liam frowned and picked up the baby bottle, walking into his living room. Sniffling was heard, but Liam saw nothing, just the back of his couch, the side of his armchair and the black screen of his tv. 

He moved around the back of the couch to see Niall curled up on it, his fingers in his mouth. Niall was laying on his side, facing Zayn, who sat on the floor talking softly to the boy. His fingers ran soothingly through Niall's blonde fringe. 

The boy's eyes fluttered, as if he was fighting sleep off as he listened to the older man's words. Zayn looked over at Liam when he saw movement. He gave annoyed eyes towards Liam, but they softened as they moved to look at Niall. "See Niall? I told you he would be back." He spoke quietly to the boy.

Niall shifted on the couch, moving so that he could tilt his head and see Liam. His eyes were large and bluer than usual, the whites of his eyes reddened from his salty tears. He bit on his fingers before reaching a wet hand out for Liam. 

"Hi. You didn't eat your lunch, Ni. I thought you were hungry?" Liam spoke softly, not wanting to disturb the quiet atmosphere of the living room. 

Niall stayed silent, eyebrows burrowing as he internally wrestled with something. Zayn piped in instead. "Yes well, Niall was a little distraught and the food was forgotten." He added in with a hint of disappointment lacing his words, "That does tend to happen when something upsetting happens right before you're ready to eat. But you wouldn't know anything about that would you?"

Liam bit his lip and took a few steps closer to the still silent boy. Niall lay still, his eyes following the older man. Liam kneeled down next to Zayn and looked over at his friend. He made a shooing motion with his hands and crawled forwards on his knees, taking Zayn's spot next to Niall. 

"Niall, I'm sorry I had to step away for a few moments. I was getting frustrated and I didn't like yelling at you. I'm sorry about that." Liam paused after his apology, wondering what to say next. What would he say to a little kid? 

"Can I have a hug, Ni?" He asked, holding his arms out to Niall. 

The younger boy hesitated for a moment before leaning into him, gripping the older one's tshirt in his fist. 

"No go." Niall whispered, nuzzling his nose into Liam's neck. 

"What love?" Liam asked, leaning back to get a good look at the boy. 

"Ey-yum no go way. Tay wif Ni." Niall begged, adding a polite, "Peas." 

A sad chuckle escaped Liam's lips. "You bet, Ni, I'll definitely stay with you. I won't go away again."

Niall shuffled off the couch and into Liam's lap.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I did it again. Wrote another 8500 for this chapter so I split it up. :) Another chapter coming soon!

Lunch was mostly eaten by the time it ended for Niall. Liam noticed the younger one's body swaying as he sat in his chair.

Niall shoveled a couple strawberries into his mouth, chewed and swallowed. He began to reach for another bite when his eyes closed fully and he began to tip to the left, thankfully in the direction Liam happened to be sitting on.

Liam grabbed for Niall as he slumped, sleep taking over mid meal. Liam looked over to Zayn, who had stuck around, saying he had nothing better to do that afternoon. Both boys quietly giggled at the sight of Niall grasping a strawberry and then passing out.

Niall had peanut butter all over his fingers and a drying red beard. Zayn stood, wetting a flannel and bringing it to Niall. The boy stayed asleep as Zayn ran the cloth around his mouth then slowly cleaned his fingers.

Liam shrugged at Zayn when they made eye contact. Liam finagled his hands under the boy's armpits and lifted him easily into the air. Zayn began to clean up in the kitchen as Liam walked with the sleeping boy down the hall.

Niall's bedroom door was open from earlier so the brunette was able to get the two of them into the room. Niall stayed resting peacefully as Liam lay him down on the bed.

Liam fussed with the covers, making sure the boy was safe and sound in the middle of the bed. He paused when the boy rustled a little bit under the covers. Niall mumbled, "George. Bankie, mine Ey-yum."

Liam's heart swelled as he heard the last part of Niall's sentence. He brushed away the boy's fringe before leaving the room to quickly gather up a few things that Niall may need upon waking.

He went to the dryer and pulled out the boy's beloved blanket before finding George shoved between two cushions on the couch. The last item was in the kitchen, near the sink where it had been out after being given a thorough washing.

Niall was still snoozing when Liam returned. He tucked George and the blanket beneath the covers for the younger one to find when he woke up. Liam then looked down at the item left in his hands. He turned it over for a moment, looking at the hard plastic and rubber nipple. Leaning over the bed, Liam gently rubbed the dummy's nipple against his lips, pressing ever so lightly. When Niall parted his lips to the sensation, Liam slipped the dummy into his mouth.

Niall didn't hesitate for a moment before sucking on the plastic dummy. Liam smiled down at the sleeping boy. He watches him for a moment before deciding he'd had enough of being creepy and spying on the younger boy sleep.

He tipped toed out of the bedroom, keeping his eyes over his shoulder and looked up at the very last second before he left the room. He was startled to see Zayn there watching him, watching Niall.

Liam blushed and ducked his head. Zayn nodded his head at him and turned to go back into the living room, presumably to talk.

Liam followed his friend, staying silent until the two sat down next to one another on the couch.

Liam chewed on his bottom lip, feeling a lot like a child about to be scolded by a parent. He waited outwardly quiet while his mind races and rambled like a high speed train with rusty wheels.

"I know that I threw a lot at you," Zayn began, eyebrows furrowed as he formed his words with purpose, "without really checking if this was all okay with you. I'm already in loads of trouble with my boss, not following procedure and all."

Liam's eyebrows raised. "Shit, you're not going to get fired, right? You love your job! You're the best!"

Zayn shook his head. "Nah, like, I just got a stern talking to when I got back to the station."

Liam let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Zayn continued. "I know that this is probably the last thing you want to do, and I'm really sorry for the inconvenience of it all, but the Chief is requesting you bring him down tonight. Paper work has to be filled out in order for you to be Niall's custodian."

"Tonight? Well... I guess I've got no choice, I don't want to get you in more trouble." Liam answered, turning sideways on the couch.

Zayn thanked him and sighed, the silence settling over them comfortably. "So..." Zayn began, meeting the other man's eyes before continuing, "about earlier, um, he was really upset when you left him in the kitchen. Like, I've never seen tears fall so quickly, even faster than when Harry saw Louis kiss that girl a couple summers ago."

Liam frowned. "I know, I feel bad about it, but I knew I'd end up saying something wrong if I stayed there. He just is so attached! And I met him last night! It's all a lot to take in."

Zayn nodded, "I know, but your awesome with kids. Remember when we were at Louis's mom's house a couple years ago? You had those twins charmed in minutes and it took Harry six months to get them to not run away screaming when they saw him."

"That's because Louis had them convinced Harry was not the man they saw sneaking out of their garden one night. And they were five, not stupid." Liam rolled his eyes at Zayn.

"Aha, that was pretty funny though. You have to admit, Li." Zayn chuckled and reclined, putting his feet up on the coffee table. Liam looked over at Zayn suddenly, not having heard that nickname in a good two years.

Zayn yawned and scooted down a bit on the couch, apparently not even realized he called him Li. Liam flicked on the television, deciding not to bring up the past. The start of the new Batman movie was beginning on one of the channels, so he smiled and looked over at Zayn.

He asked, "Sound good?" already knowing what the answer would be.

"You know it." Came Zayn's response. The two settled in to watch the film as the boy down the hall snoozed quietly.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Liam had drifted off, his last thoughts having been about Batman and the amazing special effects on the screen. He was jolted awake by a poke and a pull on his left cheek.

Liam pried his hazel eyes open to see blue ones staring back at him. "Hi. Ni wake. Ey-yum wake now toooooooo!" Niall crowed, happiness written all over his face.

Niall crawled up onto Liam and hugged the older man. "Miss you Ey-yum. We pay? Ey-yum weed Ni?"

"What?!" Zayn exclaimed, having just woke up himself to Niall's talking, "Did he just say you weed on him?"

"Of course not!" Liam explained, "He wants me to read to him." He rolled his eyes then ran a hand through Niall's sleep-crazed hair. "Go find a book, Ni, I'll read to ya."

Niall scrambled off Liam's lap and ran to the kitchen. Zayn rubbed at his eyes as he watched Niall over the back of the couch.

"Dude, he's waddling."

Liam turned to see what Zayn was talking about. Niall indeed was waddling as he carried his animal ABC book back from the kitchen.

"Why're you waddling, Ni? What's wrong with your legs?" Liam asked, quirking his head to look at them.

"Mine yegs? Nuffin wong." Niall said, bending over and looking down at the legs in question.

Liam pulled Niall onto his lap and immediately figured out why he had been waddling. "Niall, your nappy's sagging off your waist. Looks like you might need a change. Let's go, quickly now so your rash doesn't get worse."

Liam scooted to the edge of the couch, the younger boy still in his lap. Niall giggled and reached to latch his arms around the older one's neck. "Carewee peas!" Niall spoke, pressing his lips to Liam's neck.

The brunette blushed, mumbling out an agreement before lifting the light boy into the air and rushing down the hallway. All the while, Niall repeatedly pressed his lips into Liam's neck and pulled away, giggling as his lips made a smacking suction noise.

"Niall, what're you doing?" Liam asked as they walked into the bathroom.

"Give kisses." Niall answers, laying down without the older man having to ask him to. Liam hums an "Oh" as a response and makes quick work of Niall's wet nappy.

When it comes to having to put on the nappy rash cream, Liam hesitated. "Niall? The cream makes it feel better, right? Like once it's on?"

Niall was sucking on his fingers as he answered Liam, words more muddled than usual. "Yesh. No ouchie."

Liam nodded to himself as he picked up a glob of cream. He began to spread the cream on Niall's still pink bottom. Niall wiggled and whined.

Liam stopped and sat back. "Niall, I thought you said it didn't hurt!"

"No ouchie, is cooooowld! Brrrrr! Fweezee fweezee!" Niall explained, shivering dramatically.

"Niall! You goof. I'll be quick. Legs up, babe." Liam said, attempting to ignore the way his face was flushing. He was getting super comfortable with calling Niall different terms of endearment and he wasn't sure how to handle it. The last time he had used those names on someone... Well it didn't quite work out.

Liam wiped his hands off and pulled the nappy up and into place. He pulled up Niall's joggers and helped the boy stand.

"Weed now?" Niall asked, batting his eyelashes at the older man.

The brunette chuckled and agreed, following Niall back down the hall where they had left the book. Niall climbed onto the couch, waited for Liam to sit before grabbing the book and climbing into his lap. He sat sideways so his head could be leaning on Liam's chest.

Zayn was facing the telly, but his eyes were on the two boys reading. "...and B is for Buffalo. C is for Cow and D is for Dog. E is for Elephant and F is for Fox. G is-"

"Doggie?" Niall questioned, turning back a page and pointing to the fox and turning to look at Liam's face.

The older one shook his head. "Nope, fox. It's like a dog though. They're part of the same family, like distant cousins."

Liam was about to continue reading when he noticed Niall staring rather intently at the fox, a small pout on his lips. "Ni? What's the matter?" Liam asked, running a hand through the blonde's hair, pulling his forehead closer to his own head.

"Fox hab pamilee. Why fox get pamilee and no Ni pamilee?" Niall asked after a moment more of pouting.

"Hey, none of that. You've got me, okay kiddo? That fox doesn't have me." Liam justified, sounding completely out of his mind to Zayn, yet a smile broke out across Niall's face.

"Yeah! Ni gots Ey-yum. Fox no hab Ey-yum." Niall cheered before sticking his tongue out at the picture of the fox.

Niall turned the page and looked expectantly at Liam. When Liam didn't immediately begin to read, Niall bounced in Liam's lap. "Weed! Weed! Now, Ey-yum!"

"Alright! Alright! But when we're done we're going to go for a drive, okay?" Liam said, resettling Niall on his lap and continued on with the animal alphabet.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

"Niall! For the love of God, you have to either wear the jumper or the scarf. You're not going out in just an undershirt. Sorry." Liam held out the black jumper and oatmeal colored scarf.

Niall stomped his feet. He was not happy about having to wear khaki pants. Liam had made him change when he spilt milk on them. Perhaps Niall shouldn't have insisted on a "big kid" cup. Or Liam shouldn't have listened and gave in to a demand like that.

"No!" The boy shouted. Zayn groaned, the two hasn't stopped arguing for the past ten minutes.

"Niall...stop. It's time to go. We have to go visit Zayn's work, and see..." Liam paused, looking at Zayn to help supply the missing name.

"Eleanor." Zayn whispered to Liam.

"Ellanoh?" Niall asked, pausing mid foot stomp.

"Yes. Eleanor. She's at the police station waiting for us." Liam explained, "Which one are you wearing?" Still holding on to the jumper and scarf.

"No."

"Niall! Okay that's it." Liam groaned, readying himself to wrestle the boy into the sweater.

Niall grabbed for the sweater and scarf, trying to place both on himself at the same time. "Ni wears boaf."

"What?" Liam asked, helping Niall find the head hole. When the blonde popped his head out he smiled at Liam and reached for the scarf, wrapping it around his head until just his eyes and nose peeked out of the warm wool.

"Boaf! Wan boaf." Niall explained.

"Niall," Liam said, shaking his head as he unraveled the boy from the scarf, "let's fix this, yeah?"

Niall giggled as Liam folded the scarf in half and looped it around the younger one's neck. Pulling the ends of the scarf through the looped hole and let it drop onto the boy's chest.

He kneeled down and slipped Niall's sock covered feet into the canvas shoes he wore earlier that day.

"There we are. You ready to go, Ni?" Liam pulled at the boy's black sweater again and fixed his hair.

"Dummy." Niall demanded, holding out his hand.

Liam placed the requested item in his jean's pocket. Niall began to pout when Liam leaned in close to him and spoke softly in his ear. "Niall, we're going out into public, I'm taking your dummy with us only in case of emergency. You don't need it right now, I'm right here with you."

Niall nodded and reached out to hold the older man's hand. Zayn lead the way down the stone path to his car that was parked on the side of the street. Liam let go when they reached the car.

Niall stood outside the closed backseat door as Liam opened the front passenger side door. He lifted his leg to hop in when he heard a little voice call out his name.

Niall was standing looking down at the curb, gnawing on his lip. He looked troubled with his brow furrowed and looked up as a car passed by.

Liam opened the back passenger side door and walked the boy around to the opened door. Niall climbed in and reached for the seat belt. Liam's hands met him there and took over, pulling the safety belt around Niall and clicking the buckle in.

"Niall, you need to let me know when you need help with things. I've got to learn what you can and cannot do on your own, okay?" Liam smiled down at Niall as he spoke.

Niall nodded and moved his fingers to his mouth, pulling his legs up and tucking his chin into his knees. Zayn was waiting for Liam to get in so they could get this over with. Liam quickly pulled the dummy out of his pocket and wiped at the nipple a couple times. He pried Niall's fingers out of his mouth and plugged the boy's whine with the dummy.

Niall hummed happily and looked up at Liam. "Just until we get to the station. Then it goes back in my pocket, alright?" Liam asked. When he received a nod, he patted the boy on the head and closed the door. He hopped in the front seat next to Zayn and tried to ignore the mocking smile his friend was wearing.

"Oh, just shut up and drive, will you?"  
:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

When the three arrived at the police station, it was very busy. Niall wasn't too happy about having to give up his dummy. When Zayn had pulled into his parking spot, two police car sailed by, sirens wailing.

Niall had been spooked by the noise and had needed a few extra moments with his dummy. He sucked on the rubber nipple furiously as Liam climbed into the backseat.

Liam shushed the boy, holding the boy's shaking hand with one of his own and rubbing his back with the other. When the older brunette had calmed him down and pulled him out of Zayn's car, Liam began to fix Niall's rumpled clothing.

He stopped when he smelled cigarette smoke wafting under his nose. Turning, he noticed Zayn take a drag from his lit cigarette.

Liam raised one eyebrow, reaching out for Niall's hand as he said, "You're smoking again? I thought you quit."

Zayn looked over from his spot, leaning against his own car. He dropped the cigarette and pushed himself off the car. "Yeah, I did. Picked it up a couple years ago again though."

Liam frowned but stayed silent. Niall was watching the commotion going on around them with wide eyes, inching closer to Liam.

Once inside the station, Liam followed Zayn's lead and watched as the man talked to his coworker at the front desk. Once Zayn was informed of where Liam and Niall were needed, he motioned for the two to follow him.

They walked down a few hallways and turned a corner. Niall gasped and took off running at the sight of a young brunette woman standing outside a conference room. Liam panicked and made to reach out for Niall when he heard Niall shout the woman's name.

"Ellanoh! Ellanoh! Miss you." Niall hugged the woman and bounced on his toes, turning to look over his shoulder at Liam and Zayn, a giant smile on his face.

"Ey-yum! Dis mine Ellanoh. Ellanoh hab sweets." Niall paused and looked for the canvas bag she usually carried with her. "Righ? Where sweets, Ellanoh?"

Eleanor smiled down at the boy, worry etched into her face. "Sorry, love, no sweets today. I left my bag at home. Didn't know I'd be seeing you today otherwise I would have brought you some."

Eleanor's eyes scanned Niall, silently checking him over that he was safe and unharmed as Niall pouted at the absence of candy. Liam glared a little bit before clearing his throat and holding his hand out to shake.

"Hello, my name is Liam Payne. I've been taking care of Niall since...well, since all that stuff happened. Officer Malik brought him to me late last night." Liam explained, shaking her hand when she offered it.

"Hi, Mr. Payne. I'm Niall's social worker, Eleanor Caulder. Thank you for taking such good care of him. He'll be in good hands." Eleanor assured, ushering the boy into the conference room.

Liam frowned and looked to Zayn before moving his brown eyes back to the woman before him. "I'm sorry, I don't follow. I was under the impression that Niall would be staying with me."

Niall looked back and forth at the two adults in front of him, trying to follow the conversation.

Eleanor smiled at Liam before explaining, "Niall is a very special boy and needs certain things in place, in order for him to have a successful relationship with a caregiver. I've already made contact with a certified foster couple that are willing to try with Niall. That's very kind that you'd like to help him, but he is better off with a family that can handle his needs."

Liam was about to argue, taking a step forwards and pointing a finger at Eleanor when Niall cried out, and melted onto the floor.

Eleanor jumped and turned to look at the boy. In that time, Liam was already on the ground pulling Niall into his lap, hugging the boy as he rushed reassuring words in the younger one's ear.

"Shhhh, Ni, it's alright love. No, no, I've got you. You're not going anywhere I'm not. Right, Zayn? Zayn?" Liam lifted his head, talking to his friend, ignoring the woman to his right.

Zayn coughed. He looked at his friend and then to the social worker. "Ms. Caulder, Liam would be an excellent caregiver to Niall. He is fully aware of his unique situation and has bonded strongly with Niall. He has informed me that he would like to continue to take care of Niall and petition for custody."

Liam listened to Zayn's words, knowing he had in fact not said anything like that to his friend. However, he found himself not completely against the idea either. Niall had quickly wiggled his way into Liam's heart.

Eleanor stays silent, eyes flicking back and forth between the three men. She watches as Niall clings to Liam, pushing his face into the older man's neck with a whine, and the way Liam is quick to hush the boy.

"Regardless," she begins, "He would have paperwork to fill out and Niall needs to be evaluated."

She kneeled down, her tone of voice changing as she spoke with Niall. "Love, we have to have a little chat, alright? Can you come sit up at the table? Liam can join you."

Niall looked from Eleanor to Liam. He sat quietly while he assessed Liam's reaction to her words. Feeling that Liam was not threatened in turn made him feel better. Niall nodded and crawled off of Liam's lap. The older one nodded and stood, noticing that Niall was still on the floor.

Liam smiled down at Niall and held his arms out to the boy, silently asking him if he would like to be lifted. Niall raised his arms out to Liam.

They moved to the conference table and sat down. Niall hesitated a little bit at being put in his own chair, but was satisfied when Zayn explained to the boy that Niall needed to be in his own chair so that Liam could sign some important papers.

"Paypaws? For Ni go wid Ey-yum?" Niall questioned, raising one eyebrow suspiciously.

Zayn nodded. "I'm going to go get them right now." Speaking to Eleanor, he asked, "Did you want me to grab the Social Services woman who is standing out front?"

Eleanor nodded her head, brown waves bouncing. "Yes, thank you, if you wouldn't mind. Her name is Beth Richards. She should be on the list for admittance."

Zayn left the room and Eleanor sat down to the right of Niall. Eleanor looked to Liam before addressing Niall. "So, Niall, how have you been? I haven't seen you since the beginning of the month. I was supposed to see you next week at your home. Guess I'll have to schedule that with you, Mr. Payne if you're truly going to get custody of Niall."

Before Liam could respond Niall frowned at Eleanor and said, "Mumma an Da's house go boom."

Eleanor's smile twitched a bit at Niall's explanation of what had happened the previous night. Liam choked on his saliva and stuttered out an apology. "I'm sorry! We, well, we had to tell him something and Zayn was the one that said it that way. I would have put it a little more delicately! Honest!"

"I see. Well, perhaps Officer Malik doesn't have the best experience talking with the young children, especially one as extraordinary as Niall." Her eyes shined with disapproval.

Liam swallowed and ran his hand across his forehead. Before he could come to his nor Zayn's defense Zayn walked through the open door with a stout, kind looking woman with short curly brown hair.

The woman introduced herself and shook hands with Liam before holding her hand out to Niall. Eleanor began to explain as Niall looked at the stretched out hand then to Liam's face. "Well, you see, Beth, Niall is not always aware of proper conversational skills and cues and he-"

Liam nodded at Niall, causing the boy to reach out, grab for the lady's hand and jerkily shake it. "Hi. Mine Ni. You Bef?"

Beth chuckled and smiled at Niall before looking at Eleanor then back to the boy. "Yes, my name is Beth. It's nice to meet you. I'm going to ask you a few questions. Think you can play this game with me? What is your whole name, Ni?"

Niall smiled, pulling his legs up and under his bottom in the chair. "Niall. Easy peasey."

He turned his head to look at Liam, proudness radiating off of him. Liam smiled back at him. "Good job, love." Eleanor leaned forward, catching Liam's gaze after hearing the loving name.

He blushed and looked to his hands. Beth continued her questioning. "Niall what? Do you know your whole name?"

Niall scrunched his nose as he thought about her question. She elaborated, "See, my first name is Beth, but my last name is Richards. My whole name is Beth Richards."

Niall placed his chin in his hand and thought for a moment. He looked over to Liam. "Ey-yum? Wud your name?"

Liam answered easily, thinking he only wanted another example so he could figure out his own name. "Liam Payne. My last name is Payne."

Niall nodded and sat back on his heels and said, "Mine Niall Payne."

Liam choked for a second time on his spit, "Uh, no, um, Niall, your name is Niall Horan. Not Payne. Oh, no no! Don't cry! It's not a reason to cry, Ni!"

Niall's tears filled his eyes and quickly fell down his cheeks. Niall slid down off his chair and under the table. He crawled to the other end of the long conference table.

Liam looked to Eleanor, panic in his eyes. The brunette woman sitting one chair away from him shook her head. "No, Mr. Payne-"

"It's Liam, please call me Liam." He interrupted, bending down to look under the table at Niall.

"-okay, Liam. He associates having the same last name as someone to mean that he will be staying with them for a long period of time. He's hand his name legally changed four times. He said that because he wants to stay with you. Niall doesn't mean to insinuate anything or to assume that will be what you decide to do."

Liam nodded his head and he watched Zayn shuffle down the end of the table and pull out a few chairs. He bent down and called out Niall's name softly. A few moments later he was standing with Niall in his arms, the boy's face tucked into the older man's tan neck.

Liam swallowed and watched as Zayn moved around the table towards Liam and Eleanor. There was a tan couch to the side of the conference table. Zayn sat with Niall on it, rubbing the boy's back.

"How bout we take a break from the questions for Niall, Liam, there's a stack of papers you need to sign there to your left." Zayn explained, making small circles onto the boy's back.

"Oh, alright." Liam answered, tearing his eyes away from Niall and his friend. He looked over the documents and filled out the necessary information such as his name, date of birth, place of residency, and where he worked. He also had to provide his annual income and some other personal information.

Liam finished filling in the blanks before sliding the paperwork to Eleanor and moving onto the couch with Zayn and Niall.

"Hey, Ni, can I hold you?" Liam asked, gently rubbing the back of the boy's head. Niall sniffled and lifted his head.

"Go home?" Niall asked, holding his arms out and shifted across Zayn's lap and onto Liam's jean covered legs.

"Not yet, but soon. Would you like to get take away on our way home? Maybe Chinese food or Indian? Have you ever had any of that kind of food?" Liam offered.

Niall's eyes lit up and he bounced in Liam's lap. "Innean! Yum yum yum!"

"Yeah?" Liam laughed, turning Niall so that he was sitting next to Liam his arm around Niall's shoulders, the boy's legs half on top of Liam's.

"What kind of Indian do you like to get?" Liam asked, smiling and looking up at Eleanor and Beth.

"Kickin. Kickin komah. Is yum yum yum." Niall explained, rubbing his belly as he licked his lips.

"That's my favorite, too. Well, we will definitely get you some chicken korma when we're done here." Liam patted Niall's belly, looking over to the two woman still at the table.

Niall leaned into Liam and snuggled up to him, a small smile on his face as he pressed his face into Liam's chest.

"Think we can continue the game, Ni? You were really good at it. I'm sorry I corrected you about your last name. One day it might be Payne, but for right now love, it's still Horan." Liam spoke softly to the boy, pressing a kiss to the side of his head. The older man looked up at Beth, who was wearing a small smile, and to Eleanor, who sat there biting her lip with unsure eyes.

Niall frowned but nodded, tucking his head into Liam's neck again. "Wan sit wid Ey-yum. Peas."

Liam nodded, looking at Eleanor over Niall's head. "Yeah, we can do that love. Absolutely.

Lifting Niall into the air was easy for Liam. He propped the boy on his hip for the few steps it took to get back to the table. Liam pulled out a chair with his foot and maneuvered Niall in front of his so when he sat down the boy would be sitting on his right thigh, his arm secure around the boy's waist and Niall leaning on his chest.

Niall's fingers slid into his mouth and he gnawed on the pads of them.

"Ready for some more questions, smart boy?" Beth asked, jotting down a quick note on her notepad.

Niall smiled and nodded, pulling his fingers from his mouth. He shook his right hand so his jumper sleeve fell down over his hand. He balled the end of the fabric and fisted it, raising it to his mouth to run over his lips.

"Alright, Niall, what is your favorite color?" The older woman asked.

"Geen. An boo. But, geen moah." Niall answered, he reached for Liam's hand that wasn't on his waist and held onto the older one's pointer finger.

"Wonderful, I like those colors too. How about your favorite food. What do you love to eat?" Beth asked, watching as Niall looked at Liam before answering.

"Pizza. Yum yum yum." Niall said, licking his lips.

Beth moved right into the next question. "How old are you, Niall?"

The boy frowned and looked down at Liam's fingers still in his grasp.

Liam pulled his hand up to his lips and gave Niall's hand a kiss. "It's alright, how old is Little Niall?" Liam reassured, giving Niall a question he could answer easily.

"Dis many." Niall poked two fingers out from his curled jumper sleeve.

Beth picked up on how Liam phrased the question. "And how old is Big Niall?"

Niall shook his head and curled into Liam's shirt. "No..." Niall mumbled.

Liam rubbed at his back and looked over to Eleanor. She bit at her lip and kept her eyes on Niall.

After a couple moments of Niall taking deep breaths, he picked up his head off of Liam's shoulder and looked into the older man's eyes.

"You're safe, Niall. You are. I'm right here with you, but you don't have to answer if you don't want to." Liam said, patience and kindness radiating off of him.

"Um, I'm sixteen. Just turned a couple weeks back. Liam, can we go now?" Big Niall answered, turning to look at Liam again. Liam was a little shocked at hearing the boy's clear voice, Irish accent heavy on his perfectly pronounced words.

Eleanor jumped in before Liam could promise Niall anything that he would have to break. "Actually Niall, now that you're big we have something important to talk about."

Beth cleared her throat. "Niall, you understand what happened with your parents?"

Niall nodded and she continued, "You have a choice. Liam here has applied to be your guardian. He would be in charge of all your legal and custodial rights. Meaning he would be making all the big decisions until you turned eighteen. Or we could place you with a foster family that very much would like a little boy like you."

Niall's eyebrows furrowed. "I can pick?"

Beth nodded. Niall gripped Liam's hand harder. "I want to stay with Liam."

Liam smiled tightly, trying to conceal his happiness. He squeezed Niall's hip, making sure to let the boy know he was pleased with his decision as well.

Niall looked over and shifted in Liam's lap. His lap grew warm and Niall's cheeks bloomed with pinkness. Shit, Liam thought, it hadn't even occurred to him to bring anything to change Niall with. The boy would have to wait till he got back to the flat, hopefully his rash would not get worse because of it.

"Alright, Niall, and how do you feel about what happened to your parents? Are you sleeping alright? Do you feel that you need to speak to someone about all this?" Beth asked, watching closely to see how Niall reacted to her questioning.

"It's... It's sad, but I'm okay. I think I'm all set, I don't need to talk to anyone about it. I guess I just kind of expect things to not last forever." Niall explained, lifting his fingers to his lips.

Liam reached up and pulled them all, shaking his head at the action when Niall met his eyes. "You're fine." He quietly reassured.

"Niall, one last question and then we can move on to the next thing-" Beth cut herself off when she saw Eleanor making a motion across her throat, telling Beth silently to not speak about the next thing.

"Uh, um, so ahem, my last question, is there any reason that you can think of that would maybe make living with Liam easier? Some way that we could help ease the transition?" Beth asks, trying to wrap up the session.

Niall thinks for a moment. "Um, I'm, I'm not sure. Um, I'd like to have some of the things I had at my mum and da's, like like a crib. Um, maybe a spot to get changed on, the floor's kind of cold."

Liam jumps in to clarify, "I was going to get you those things, Ni, it just hasn't been enough time. I swear it! Honest, I was going to look online later for something to order! I just didn't want to make a mess on the bed while I'm still figuring out how to change him." Liam panics, turning to Eleanor.

"Relax, Liam, changing a child on the floor is perfectly acceptable when you don't have the necessary equipment or received a child unexpectedly." Eleanor chuckles at Liam's need to justify.

"I'm hungry, Liam." Niall says, turning Liam's attention back to him.

"I know you are, buddy. We're going to get take away soon. Just hang in there a little bit longer." Liam rubs Niall's back. "What's left?" He asks Beth and Eleanor.

Forgetting Eleanor's cut throating gesture from before, Beth says with a smile, "Just a quick check in with the doctor and you'll be on your way!"

Niall doesn't say a word, but Liam can tell he's panicking at what Beth just said. His mouth is pinched tight and he is breathing deeply and rapidly.

"Niall," Eleanor begins, "it's nothing to be worried about, he just needs to make sure there are no issues and then you'll be going home with Liam, alright?"

Niall turns and wraps his arms around Liam, pressing his face into the older one's neck. "What wrong, love?" Liam asks, confusion written all over his face as he feels the hot wet tears sliding down his own neck.

"He has a small fear of doctors. All those visits when he was younger, bring up bad memories." Eleanor helped to fill in the blanks.

"Aw, Ni, it's alright. Doctors help us." He stands and begins to pace with the boy in his arms. When the silent shaking sobs come, Liam is at a loss as to what to do. He remembers the dummy in his pocket and shifts the crying boy in his arms. "Hey, Niall, how about you have your dummy, okay?"

Liam pulls the small plastic soother out and wipes at the nipple, lifting it to the boy's mouth. Niall takes it without hesitation and presses his head back in close to Liam. The brunette feels the plastic bump against his neck in a steady fast paced rhythm as Niall sucks on it.


	6. Chapter 6

"Alright, let's do this. Tell me I can stay with him." Liam pleads with the two women, then chances a glance over at his friend, Zayn.

"Well, most of it is confidential, Niall is legally supposed to see him by himself. They're looking for signs of physical or sexual abuse before we clear him to go home with you." Eleanor explains, wiping at her forehead.

"What?!" Liam exclaims, wrapping a hand around Niall's back protectively.

"I know, I know, it sounds horrible, but it's standard procedure." Eleanor tries to placate Liam.

"No, he can't do that by himself. That's way too terrifying for him, especially because of his past. He's not big right now. I can't leave him on his own with a stranger, that would complicate his relationship with me. I'd lose his trust. Isn't there someway for us to request a witness to it? Right?" Liam is scrambling to find a way around this, thinking of the signs he vaguely recalls from doctor office walls.

"Well... Here's the thing. It really can't be you. He's been in your care for 15 hours, something could have happ-" Eleanor begins.

"What?! Are you really telling me that you think I would have done something to him? He's just a kid! I'm not some sick fuck that-" Liam shakes as he feels his anger rise at the insinuation that Eleanor makes.

"No! Goodness no! But the laws are laws! If you did do something, and I'm not saying you did, but if you did he may not feel comfortable enough to say something to the doctor if you are there." Eleanor argues.

Zayn clears his throat. "I'll do it. I'll be his witness. He trusts me, I'm sure he'd rather have you, but I can do my best to help him."

Liam bites his lip as he contemplates his options. He wants to do what is best for Niall. He knows that if they won't let Liam be with the boy, then Zayn is the next best option. He knows that Zayn will watch over Niall and not let some kook of a doctor take advantage of the boy in his younger state of mind.

"Alright." He whispers, looking over at Eleanor, "Is that allowed?"

She nods, staying silent. Beth and Eleanor stand and make their way towards the door. Zayn opens it for them and they move into the hall.

Liam follows Zayn closely, keeping his head down. He can feel some of the officers that are doing desk work, watching them. He swallows and tries to ignore the blush, knowing that he looks a little silly. A grown adult carrying a nearly full grown boy through the station.

They stop outside of a small room. Eleanor explains that the doctor is inside waiting for Niall. Liam can feel Niall grabbing at the older man's shirt. "Hey, baby, it's going to be alright. Zayn's going to be with you. He won't let anything bad happen. I'll be right here when your all done. It's okay."

Niall whimpers, his head shaking against Liam's chest. "I know, I know, but it will be quick. Go ahead, go on. Zayn," Liam grabs Zayn's attention, "just do it. Let's get this over with."

Zayn nods, reaching out for Niall. Niall's cries begin to get a bit louder. "I know, c'mon love. It's alright, I'll bring you back to Liam. Aw, Nialler, shhh, shhh. We'll be quick."

Zayn makes eye contact with Liam as the door snicks shut. Zayn rocks Niall a bit in his arms. A gentle looking man turns, stethoscope dangling around his neck and laying softly on his white lab coat.

"Ah, hello there. I'm Doctor Standish. What's your name, little lad?"

Zayn shifts Niall in his arms. "This is Niall, he's a bit skittish. I'm Officer Malik. Um, did they inform you of his... special circumstances?"

The doctor nods and gestures to the chair and medical looking table. Zayn walks up to it and tries to set Niall down on it, but the boy will have none of it.

Zayn takes a break and asks the doctor. "Does he have to lie down? Can you do this is he sits on my lap? He's a little hesitant with doctors."

The doctor nodded. "Absolutely, however I need to be able to see his body. I'll step out for a moment, can you get him out of his clothes? You can leave whatever's on under his trousers on."

Zayn inwardly groans, but nods none the less. As soon as the doctor leaves and shuts the door, Zayn takes a deep breath. "Alright, Ni, we got to get undressed. Just for a bit. Then we'll get all toasty warm again and go see Liam."

Tears are falling down Niall's face as he lets Zayn take off his scarf, sweater and undershirt. He shivers as the older man sits him down on the table to take his shoes and socks off. The darker haired man gives Niall a sad smile when the two make eye contact. Zayn unbuttons Niall's khakis and has to stop.

Niall's sniffles have turned to sobs and he just can't force the boy to do this. "Hey, Nialler, the doctor won't hurt you. The quicker we do this, the quicker we get to Liam, right?"

Niall rubs a fisted hand at his face, dummy still bobbing under his nose. The boy's cheeks are flushed with how worked up he's gotten.

Niall stands up, scooting off the table. The fabric falls to the floor and Zayn stoops down to help detangle the boy's feet. Soon as they're free, Niall's lifting his arms up and is curling up in Zayn's arms.

The older man sits back and scoots all the way into the table. Niall's face is pressed into his neck when the doctor knocks on the door.

"All set!" Zayn calls out. The doctor enters and gives a smile towards the nervous boy.

"Okay, Niall. I'm just going to take a look at your arms and legs. I won't touch anything, lad. Can you show me your arms first?" The doctor pulls out a pair of glasses, sliding them onto his face as he talks.

Zayn turns Niall around. The boy shivers in the chilly air, nappy crinkling as he moves. Niall holds out his arms. There are a couple of small circular burn marks on his left arm. The doctor makes note of them, looking through a thick file.

"From a cigarette?" Zayn asks. The doctor nods. "They were documented in 2008."

Niall whimpers and pulls his arm in close to his body. The closer that Zayn looks, the more circular marks he sees. He presses a small kiss into the back of Niall's hair.

The doctor finishes looking at his legs, chest and back. The doctor pulls off his glasses, a big sigh escaping his lips. "Now, for the hardest part. I need to see in his diaper."

Niall begins to shake, turning and hugging Zayn. His dummy garbles the boy's words. "Noooo, nooo peas, wan Ey-yum! Ey-yum, peas Zay!" Niall's cries fill the room.

"Shhh, I know you do, Ni, I know you do." Zayn tries to hush the boy, failing to keep the boy's sobs at bay. Zayn knows from experience that you can easily hear through the door. Liam must be loosing his shit.

Zayn pulls on the tabs of Niall's nappy. It falls open slightly, the cries of the boy getting louder. "He's got a bit of a rash," Zayn explains, "seems his skin is a bit sensitive. Liam, the man that's going to take care of him, has been putting Sudocream on it like crazy."

The doctor nods. He leans in close, but doesn't touch. He makes another note in his chart. "Alright very last bit. I need him to turn over and pull his knees up to his chest. I can give you a clean nappy to put him in after that. Again, I won't touch him, just looking for any signs of forced intercourse or scaring."

"No! No no no no! Stahp! Wan Ey-yum, peas, no ouchie!" Niall screams, dummy and the used nappy fall to the floor as Zayn scrambles to keep Niall in his lap and prevent him from falling.

The doctor frowns and watches as Zayn struggles to calm down the now naked boy. Niall is pushing on Zayn's hands, frantic and convinced the older man is going to force him to bend over and let the doctor examine him.

"Shhhh, no, no, Nialler. Come on, calm down, it's alright, hey! I won't hurt you! Niall-" Zayn attempts but cuts himself off as the door swings opens. As soon as Niall registers the brunette with the warm brown eyes of Liam, the nude boy launches himself at him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I've got you, Ni. Hush baby, I've got you. It's alright now, I'm right here, you're alright." Liam hushes the boy, his arm acting as a seat for Niall as it runs under his bottom. His other hand is cradled at the back of the boy's blonde head. He presses kisses to Niall's wet cheeks, mumbling quiet soothing words into his ear.

He feels the doctors eyes on him, but he ignores it and looks to Zayn. "What the bloody hell happened in here?"

Zayn looks just as stressed out as Niall, only with far fewer tears. "Niall panicked when it came time to have the doc check his rear. He wasn't going to touch him, just said he ha-had to check for forced... forced intercourse and scar-scaring." His voice hiccups a couple times.

Liam closes his eyes as he rocks Niall back and forth in his arms. "Give me his jumper." The older man states, holding the hand that was around the back of Niall's neck out.

Zayn passes it to him wordlessly. Liam juggles Niall, holding the neck of the jumper by Niall's lower back and wraps it under his crotch and over his legs. He turns to open the door, ignoring the doctor's protests. Eleanor is pacing in the hallway.

"Eleanor, I'm asking nicely for you to allow me in the room with him while the doctor looks at his bum. Niall's gotten himself all worked up, and was screaming for me. I highly doubt that he would be doing that if I did something to him and he was uncomfortable with me." Liam looks exhausted as he pleads with the woman.

Eleanor frowns, taking in the way Niall has his hands clutching at Liam's shirt and the way he keeps struggling to climb further up the man, his eyes crushed shut against Liam's neck.

Liam's panicking, it looks like the woman's not convinced. He tries pleasing with her again. "Look, we tried by the law. It didn't work. I just, I can't do that to him. It wouldn't be in the best interest of Niall to put him through that kind of stress. Please, it's for Niall."

She takes a deep breath and nods. "Alright, you've had a good sense of what he can and can't do so far. Go, quick before I change my mind."

Liam thanks her and turns, closing the door. He bounces Niall is his arms for a moment, thinking of what to say. "Niall, I'm going to stay with you, okay? Nothing's going to hurt love, he's not going to touch."

Niall cries out a protest, but let's Liam take the jumper away from his waist. He stays mostly silent as Liam walks him over to the table. He turns to the doctor and asks, "How did you need him to be?"

The doctor looks at him before chancing a glance at Zayn, who is sitting biting his lips raw.

"The easiest way is to have him tuck his legs under his chest." The doctor answers.

Liam nods and bounces Niall in his arms a couple times. "Niall, I need you to listen to me. It's very important, love, that you do as I say alright? I'm going to hold both your hands the entire time."

Niall sniffles and whispers out an "Otay, Ey-yum."

Zayn wipes at his eyes and clears his throat. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Where'd his dummy go?" Liam asks, pressing a kiss to the boy's damp temple.

Zayn looks around on the floor and sees the small plastic item. He picks it up and leaves the room, running to the nearest bathroom to wash it.

When the dark haired man returns, he passes the dummy to Liam who quickly slips it into the boy's mouth. Niall immediately begins to suck on it, small grunts and gasps escaping as he tries to soothe himself.

"Do you want me to help? I could have him lean over my lap and rub his back if you want to scoot down to his level and hold his hands and calm him down." Zayn suggests, feeling horrible, that he essentially caused all this by being the messenger of his Chief's words.

Liam agrees, "Yeah, let's give that a go."

Zayn hops up onto the table and reaches his hands out for Niall. "C'mon, there we go, love. That's it. I know, Liam's not going anywhere though. Knees up."

Zayn begins to rub Niall's back as Liam kneels on the ground and hold's Niall's hands. He gives quiet praises as the boy's eyes fill with tears and run down his cheeks. They get stopped by the dummy for a moment before collecting with the little one's saliva and drip to Zayn's jeans.

"Well, there is quite a lot of redness, but you said that was because of a nappy rash." The doctor speaks to Zayn. He writes something down on his chart before asking, "Are you two planning on co-parenting?"

Zayn's at a loss for words, his face flushes at the prospect of being a parent with Liam, an idea at one time that would have scared the shit out of him. He bites his lip ready to agree to the idea when he looks down at Liam.

The younger man's face is stony, as if he is saying something against his will. "No, no, just me."

Zayn's face falls and he bites his lip. He looks away to avoid Liam seeing his reaction. He knows he has no right to suggest what he just was thinking about. His heart thuds in his chest and he stays silent after that, waiting for someone else to make the next move.

He's shaken out of his thoughts when he notices Niall squirming as he lays on his lap. "Hey, hey, almost done, Niall." He tries to comfort the boy, ignoring the way his own heart is rabbiting in his chest.

Liam is talking quietly with the boy, not losing eye contact for a second. Zayn watches the doctor as he leans in closely, flips back into his charts to read something before going back to the first page and marking something down.

When he finishes he places his chart on a smaller counter in the room and opens up the cabinet below it. He pulls out a nappy that's a tad bigger than the ones Niall had been wearing.

"Alright, he's cleared. No trauma to his anal cavity, although there is a slight lack of muscle there. Has he lost the ability to hold his bowels?" The doctor looks at Zayn and Liam.

Both men meet each other's eyes and shrug simultaneously. Liam begins to put the nappy on Niall, he looks up at the boy's face and notices the dark red tinge to his cheeks.

"We haven't, um, we haven't encountered that yet. I'm not sure." Liam explains, helping the blonde back into his clothes. The doctor nods and bids the two men goodbye, stepping out into the hallway to speak with Eleanor.

Niall clings to Liam, eyes wide and red. When Liam finally gets Niall's jumper and scarf on, the boy climbs up the older man. Liam gives in and let's Niall into his arms. He leans down and picks up the canvas shoes. Zayn holds out his hands and takes the shoes. He kneels wordlessly and begins to wiggle Niall's foot into each shoe.

Liam thanks him with a smile. Zayn opens the door and holds it open for Liam and Niall. Beth is gone but Eleanor is standing there with a little smile on her face.

"Ellanoh, Ni go home wid Ey-yum? Nowah?" Niall pulls out his dummy and begs, tightening his grip around Liam's neck, just in case.

Eleanor tried to fight back her smile. "Almost, Niall. Can I talk with you for a moment, love? Promise you can stay near Liam. Just need to have a word."

Niall's hands tighten again on Liam, but the boy trusts Eleanor so he lets his legs loosen and he slides down the older man's body. Liam helps lower him down and watches as he hesitantly gets closer to the woman.

Liam watches as the two step a few feet away. He watches as Eleanor holds out a business card for Niall to take. He can just overhear the conversation.

"Niall, this is my cell phone number. I want you to take it and call me or have an adult call it for you if you need absolutely anything. If you're scared or hurt or you need me to come get you, no matter the time of day. I've given Liam one as well earlier but this one is for you. I'll be calling in a couple days to schedule a visit. So I will see you soon." Eleanor takes a deep breath and holds her arms out for a hug.

Niall looks down at the scribbled handwriting on the card and back up at Eleanor. He leans into her arms and hugs tightly. "Take care, kiddo. I'll see you soon. Remember, you call me if you need me. Okay?"

"Okay, I will." Niall whispers. Eleanor quickly to meet Liam's eyes, surprised at having heard Niall's "big" voice.

When they let go of each other Niall moves back to stand near Liam. Niall looks at Eleanor as she waves and leaves, Niall mimicking her actions back at her.

"I'm really hungry, Liam." Niall rubs his belly and looks at the older man. Even though Liam has heard Niall use his regular voice a few times now, it's still shocking to him. Liam snaps out of it and asks, "Yeah, of course, let's get going. Still want Indian food?"

Niall bites at his lip and nods, taking a step closer to the older man. He pulls down the sleeves of his jumper to cover his hands. Liam nods and gives Niall a one armed hug, still a little unsure of how to act when it's big Niall. Fortunately he doesn't have to think because Niall takes the dummy he was holding and plops it back into his own mouth.

He sucks on it for a moment before looking over at Liam. "Innean?"

Liam smiles at the boy and replied, "Still want chicken korma?"

Niall nods and turns to look at Zayn, who had been hanging off to the side waiting for them to be lead out of the station. "Zay comin too?"

Zayn begins to decline when Liam cuts him off. "Oh, c'mon, mate you can spare a little bit more time with us. You can't tell the kid no, it'll break his heart."

Niall nods along, reaching out for Zayn's hand. The boy walks silently between the two older men as they make their way out of the station and into the parking lot.

Once situated in the car, Liam pulls out his cellphone to order take away. "Shit." He whispers to himself, reading a text that he initially missed.

"What is it?" Zayn asks, flicking his blinker on and turning, glancing back at Niall in the back seat. He's oblivious, staring out the window while the plastic dummy bobbed under his nose.

Liam reads the text aloud. "It's from Louis. *Oi mate Haz and I are at ur flat, where u at?* Just lovely. Just bloody lovely."

Liam ignores it and calls the Indian restaurant, placing his, Niall's and Zayn's order. After he hangs up, he stares out the window for a moment. "Bollocks, I'm sorry, I just ordered you food without even asking what you wanted to eat!"

Zayn chuckles, chancing a glance over at Liam before bringing his eyes back onto the road. "S'alright. My order hasn't changed over these past few years. You got it right."

Liam blushes and looks over his shoulder at Niall. "Sorry," he half whispers to Zayn, "old habits die hard."

Zayn nods and continues driving. When they get to the restaurant, there is a brief argument over who will pay, Zayn only winning because he pulled Niall into it.

"Zayn," Liam begins once the older man gets back into the car, "that was bullshit and you know it."

Zayn smiles as he hands over the plastic bag full of delicious smelling food. "Well, honestly I don't know how you thought you were going to get out of the car without Niall. It was only fair to inform him of your plans."

Liam sticks out his tongue at the brunette next to him.

"Yum yum yum yum kicken komah." Niall babbles behind them. Liam opens up the bag quickly and tears off a piece of naan to give to Niall to hold him over.

Niall nibbles at it, mumbling out a "Tankoo!"

Zayn pulls up in front of Liam's flat and nods at the two men sitting outside on his doorstep. "No avoiding them now, eh?"

Liam sighs and looks back over his shoulder at Niall. "Niall, babe, there's a couple of friends of mine here, they're very nice. They wanted to meet you, how does that sound?"

Niall looks up from his mushy naan and looks out the window, seeing two figures near the door of the flat. One is short and holding a flat box while the other is tall and holding a giant bowl.

"Dey nice? Yike you, Ey-yum? An Zay?" Niall questions.

Liam smiles back at him. "Yes, they're both very nice. Louis is a little loud but Harry keeps him in line. You'll love them."

Niall looks back out the window. The shorter one is waving his arms at the car, beckoning them while the taller one just leans back against the door.

Niall swallows the rest of his naan and nods at Liam. Liam passes Zayn the food and hops out of the car, waving over the hood to his friends. Louis shouts, "'About bloody time! We've been here for ages! Practically lost me life starvin' to death! I was just contemplating eating Harry to live!"

Liam rolls his eyes, opening the back passenger door to help Niall out, mumbling about overdramatic boys. Zayn begins his trek up the stone walkway and greets Harry and Louis. The three wait for Liam and Niall.

"It's alright babe, I'm right here with you." Liam reassures when he sees Niall stalling.

"Dey yike Ni?" The boy questions, looking at Liam as he hops out of the back seat, his dummy in his hands.

Liam is feeling slightly nervous, knowing Louis isn't the best at biting his tongue. "Of course they will. Everyone likes you, Nialler bug! It's impossible not to!"

"Bug? Where bug?!" Niall says, worry creeping into his words as he looks around.

"Right here!" Liam says, face serious as he leans in close to Niall. Niall bites his lip until Liam bops him on the nose. It takes a moment for it to click, then Niall is giggling, leaning in to hug Liam.

"Let's go meet Louis and Harry. C'mon." Liam takes his hand and slides the dummy into his pocket. He leads the boy's around the car and up the walkway.

Louis greets Liam before he gets all the way to the door, Niall beginning to hang behind Liam, shyness and nervousness taking over the boy.

"Mate! Good to see you. It's been way too long. Who's this bloke? Where's the little tyke? Haz brought fruit salad because he thinks you won't know what to feed the kid." Louis rambles on, lowering the pizza box he's holding as he tries to see behind Liam. His blue eyes flicker over to Zayn, trying to gauge his other best mate's thoughts and feelings towards this stranger.

Harry's rolling his eyes. "I brought a fruit salad because it's good for you and if Louis had it his way he would only eat carbs and fat."

Louis leans in close to Zayn, mock whispering into his friend's ear, "Last week he tried to feed me kale... disguising it in a chocolate milkshake, but I caught on! Gave him an extra hard round in the sack for that, if you catch my drift."

Zayn laughs, rolling his eyes and looks over to Liam, letting him take control of the introductions.

"Hey Louis, Harry, good to see you both as well." Liam blushes, having to twist his fingers out of Niall's grip to get his flat key. Niall takes a step closer, keeping silent with his eyes on the ground.

Opening the door, Liam leads the way with Niall practically stepping on his heels. The other three follow, letting Zayn close the door. Liam takes the bag of food out of his arms and brings it to the kitchen table. He turns, preparing to make the introductions when he sees Louis hovering over Niall.

"Hey mate you don't talk much do you?" The short brunette turns looking at Liam, now directing his words towards his friend. "Did you lose the little one then? Thought you had one living with you now?"

"Um, well, this is Niall. He's going to be staying with me for a bit." Liam doesn't want to give too much away to his friends, unsure of how they'll take it.

Harry has been quiet pretty much up until now. His voice is still deep but it's much more playful and soft as he greets Niall. "Hi there, Niall. It's very nice to meet you. Are you hungry? I have some fruit here, d'you like strawberries and grapes?"

Liam furrows his eyebrows, unsure of what to do. He reaches out to pull Niall closer, wanting to just avoid this whole scene, but is unable to. Harry looks at him and he sees the understanding in his eyes.

Niall looks over to Liam, waiting for the older man to nod an okay at him before he whispers out an "Otay, yes peas."

Zayn yanks Louis into the other room mid open mouth. Harry chuckles at his friend and boyfriend, pulling back the bowl lid and asking Liam for a spoon and dish for Niall.

Liam grabs for the serving spoon and passes it to Harry quickly. The dish takes him a little bit longer. He's standing in front of the closed cabinet with the plastic toddler themed bowls. Liam's in such deep thought that he doesn't notice Harry saddle up next to him and open the cabinet he had been staring at.

Harry reaches around older man's frozen frame and pulls out a plastic bowl with a football painted in the bottom of it. Harry looks at it for a moment before smiling at it and placing it at the table, filling it with fruit. Liam turns to watch, fumbling with his words as he tries to explain it all.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Zayn's grip on Louis didn't falter until they were around the corner in the hallway and well out of hearing distance.

"What the bloody fuck is going on, Zayn?" Louis huffs, swiping at his fringe to put it back into place after being manhandled.

"Just shut your mouth for a moment and let me explain what's going on." Zayn rolls his eyes as he waits for Louis to be done huffing and puffing.

Louis cocks his hip and looks at the younger man expectantly. "Well? Go on, what's all this about?"

Zayn takes a deep breath. "Niall is the kid I was telling you about. His foster parents were killed late last night and I brought Niall here to be safe. He latched on to Liam, and Li has been taking really good care of him. He does age-play."

"Age-play. What the fuck, isn't that like where people wear diapers and enjoy wetting their knickers and get off on that stuff?" Louis asks, disguise evident in his voice.

Zayn's shaking his head half way through what Louis is saying. "No, it's not sexual at all! I'm sure there's people out there like that, but for fucks sake, Lou, this is Liam we're talking about! Niall had medical issues that caused him to need the nappies and-"

"What?! He wears nappies? Are you kidding me?" Louis cuts off Zayn, running a hand over his face.

"Lou! Stop man, they're going to hear you! Niall can't help it. And he's had a rough childhood so age-play helps him calm down and let's him relax. He's a real sweet lad that just needs some love and guidance. Give him a chance, come meet him properly." Zayn tries again, hushing his voice when he realizes there's not a lot of noise coming from the kitchen.

"Alright, alright." Louis relents, hands raised into the air.

When the two move back into the kitchen, Harry is sitting next to Niall in a chair and watching with a smile as the younger boy gobbles up the fruit salad with his fingers, juice slipping down his chin.

Louis looks over at Liam and tries smiling but it comes out looking more like a grimace. He gives up hoping to make pleasant conversation. "So, how about we eat then? Niall, do you want some pizza?"

Niall nibbled at a piece of watermelon. He spits out a seed and looked at Louis. Licking his fingers he pushed the bowl of half eaten fruit away.

"No. Wan kicken komah. Ey-yum, where kicken an rice an naan?" Niall asked, resituating his legs under his bottom. As he moves, Niall accidentally tips over his bowl and cries out as he chases grapes across the table.

He frowned and looked at the three men staring at him, his eyes landing on Liam last. "Sowwy! Sowwy Ey-yum. Ni keen uppie!" Niall began to crawl over the table to collect the fruit, only to stop when Liam jumped in.

"Don't worry about it, Niall, I've got it. Sit back down before you fall." Liam said as he grabbed the grapes.

Zayn had busied himself with opening up the containers of food and dished out a serving for Niall before putting his and Liam's helpings on plates as well.

Niall clapped his hands and began to shovel the food into his mouth. Harry was chuckling as he watched Niall become more and more chipmunk-like. "Slow down there little one before you choke!" Harry warns.

Louis pulled open the pizza box, taking a seat across from Niall and ate a slice without waiting for a plate. Zayn and Liam met at the last place setting and both looked at one another before setting their eyes on the vacant chair.

"Go ahead, I'll grab a spare chair from down the hall." Liam said, biting a piece of naan before placing his plate down and moving to get himself a chair.

"No! No yeave! Ey-yum tay wif Ni!" Niall cries out, scrambling to get out of his chair, food falling to the floor. His foot gets stuck in the back rungs and he starts to tumble.

Liam reacts quickly and holds out his arms catching the boy, who has already started to tear up. "Tay!" Niall whispers, "Uppie, Ey-yum."

Liam looks at his friends and blushes. He knows how this must look, a nearly fully grown teenager crying and wanting to be held by someone not much older than him.

"Hey, hey, Niall, it's okay. Come here, love." Liam hushes the boy and carries him out of the room and into the hall. He ignores the food covered fingers and face and he rocks the boy.

His left hand rests in the boy's hair as he his other rubs small circles on his back. Liam continues to rock side to side, shushing the boy who's still letting out quiet, sad and wet whimpers.

"Baby, calm down. Deep breath for me. Shhh. I was just going to get a chair to sit in. That's all, I was coming right back. Oh, Niall, please stop crying, you're breaking my heart!" Liam pressed kisses into the boy's temple while he continued to rub Niall's back.

"You tay?" Niall croaked, pulling away from where he had buried himself in Liam's chest.

Liam nodded and smiled down at the boy in his arms. "You go sit with Zayn, I'm gonna grab a chair real quick."

Niall pouted and hugged Liam tightly. "No. Wan sit wid you."

Liam sighed, not feeling like fighting this battle. "Alright, you can sit with me but you need to eat your dinner. Deal?"

Niall smiled, nodding and hugging Liam out of pure joy. Liam felt the boy's wet lips smoosh against his neck as Niall burrowed into Liam's chest. He gently wiped at it with his hand, sure that korma sauce was all over him.

"Ready, bug?" Liam asked, giving one last kiss to his forehead before letting the boy slide to the floor.

"No! Uppie!" Niall cried out, hopping up and down. Liam rolled his eyes, head shaking as he tried to hide the smile on his face. He really was beginning to love Niall's attachment to him.

Liam lifted the boy back into his arms easily. He braced himself for the critical eyes that he knew would soon be on him as he turned the corner and re-entered the kitchen.

Niall had his head on Liam's shoulder as the two walked up to the table. When Liam got to the chair they would be sitting in, Liam twisted Niall around so that he could easily sit upon the older man's lap.

Liam pulled Niall's plate closer to him and gave him a fork to begin eating with. Niall quickly made use of the utensil and began to shovel the creamy chicken and rice into his mouth.

Once Niall was set and busy, Liam began to eat his own food, his arm wrapped around Niall's waist, keeping the boy safe from falling.

He stopped eating with his fork in mid air when he noticed three sets of eyes on him.  
"Yes? Can I help you guys with something?"

Niall continued gorging himself, acting like he hadn't ate in days, grunts and huffs leaving his full mouth. Liam got a chorus of "Nothing" and "Nope" answers.

Despite his best efforts, Liam wasn't able to keep his face from flushing at the obvious stares of his friends. Luckily he was distracted from them. Niall began gagging on his food, sending the boy into a coughing fit.

Or, not so luckily, because food fell out of his mouth and onto Liam's leg. He ignored it though and thwacked at Niall's back. Liam asked for Zayn to grab him something to drink as he continued to try and get the boy's coughing under control. He grabbed a napkin off the table and wiped at Niall's chin, the food having turned it a yellowish color.

A bottle appeared and Niall took it, quickly bringing it to his mouth as his eyes watered. He took a couple of large sips and let go, huffing and breathing heavily. He leaned his head to the side and let it rest on Liam's chest.

"You alright now?" Liam asked, rubbing the boy's back. Niall nodded and placed his bottle on the table, misjudging the distance and put it on the edge of his plate. The bottle tipped and fell over, rolling towards Louis's plate.

Louis' blue eyes followed it as it came to rest in front of him. He put his slice of pepperoni pizza down on the plate Zayn had given him and lifted the bottle. He turned it in his hands for a moment, looking at the little sports characters on it before standing it upright in front of the young boy.

He looked at Liam hovering now, forcing Niall to take smaller bites and reminding him to chew his food more. He chuckled and looked at Harry. He blushed when he saw the long haired man making fond eyes at him.

He ignored it and continued eating his pizza, opening the box and reaching for another. He frowned when he saw a pile of fruit on his plate that was not there when he finished his previous slice.

He flung a grape at Harry out of protest. Niall giggled, seeing the action. Louis looked at the boy and smiled and scrunched up his face at the little one's laugh. Perhaps Niall wasn't so strange after all.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Five full bellies sat satisfied at Liam's kitchen table. Niall relaxed with his head against Liam's chest. Liam wiped at Niall's face and fingers with a flannel Zayn had gotten for him.

The four older men made quiet conversation, not quite ready to put all the left over food away yet.

Louis noticed it first. "Oi, I think the little guy might have over done it on the food there."

Liam looks down and turns his head to see Niall's face. The boy has a frown and is holding his stomach. "Ni? You alright there?"

Niall makes a concentrated face before looking at Harry then Louis, ignoring Zayn and going straight for Liam. He's breathing heavy and tries to push against Liam's arms.

Liam gets the picture and lets go of Niall, watching him waddle away from the table. A cry leaves his mouth before he reaches the hallway and Liam is left stunned.

"Well what was that all about?" Liam asked, clearly confused as he looks at his friends.

Zayn stands and begins to put the leftovers in saved plastic take away boxes. "I'm not sure, he looked a little panicked. Maybe go check on him."

Harry stands and collects the plates, helping Zayn. Louis pipes in, "I think he needs a moment to himself." Harry shakes his head and agrees with Zayn. "He looked very upset, depending on how little he is, it could be anything. Louis probably frightened him with his stares."

"Oh c'mon," Louis begins to argue, "I didn't frighten him. And I can't believe you can't tell, Liam. I've see that face a million times before on my sisters when they were in nappies."

Louis lets Liam think about it for a few seconds. "Really, Liam? You don't know?" Liam's beginning to get upset, his face is full of confusion. He bows his head and groans, raking his hands through his hair.

"No! I don't know! Just tell me, I don't have a lot of experience with kids! What's wrong with Niall?" Liam asks, panic in his voice.

Louis smirks. "That's his 'I've got to poo' face."


	7. Chapter 7

Liam is blinking at Louis.

"Um, shouldn't I leave him to, you know... do his business?" Liam asks, a blush flooding his cheeks.

Blue eyes roll as Louis throws his arms up in the air. "I don't bloody know! I'm just informing you of what that perfectly coiffed dense skull can't seem to comprehend."

Harry clears his throat. He raises a finger to get Liam's attention. "You may want to go after him. He seemed extremely stressed and you don't know his history that well yet. Littles can be complex beings, they need lots of guidance and can be frightened over what we think of being the silliest little things. When a Little is scared, they need to be comforted. They don't know how to do it themselves."

Liam listens to his friends words and nods, excusing himself to go find Niall, and at least attempt to reassure Niall that there was nothing to be upset about.

He leaves the three in his kitchen, heading down the hallway to check each room. He hears Louis scoff and ask, "Oi! How the bloody hell do you know so much about this Little stuff?"

He can't hear the answer, but he's sure Harry is giving them one.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

"Well," Harry begins, "When I used to be a baker-" he frowns at Louis's laugh, but continues on anyways, "there was a Little that would come in with her... I guess it was her dad. She would ask for a fairy cake every time. I used to think that she had a mental disability, because she was so sweet... Just completely innocent, you know? Till one day she dropped her fairy cake and she just burst into tears."

Louis looked expectantly at his boyfriend, waiting for him to continue.

Harry looked distant, eyes unfocused as he remembers his days at Mandeville. He began to talk again as he sat at the table again. "Her...dad picked her up and held her. A full grown adult! Just rocked her in the middle of the shop! She was sucking her thumb and then he promised to buy her another one. She immediately stopped crying and walked up to the counter where I was and asked for another one. I did a little research after that."

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

"Niall? Love? You in here?" Liam called out, opening the door to the spare bedroom. He pushed the door slowly, a long low creak sound emitting from the hinges.

Liam steps in, turning on the lamp near the bed. A small huddled figure shakes underneath a blanket on the large bed. The brunette sits down on the bed and rubs at the lump of blankets.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Liam asks, pulling back the blanket. Niall is laying on his side, clutching his stomach. He's sweating and crying, shirtless. Liam notices his shirt balled up on the floor next to the bed.

"Ouchie! Tummy owwwwww!" Niall cries, turning to bury his face in Liam's stomach. Trying to soothe the boy, Liam lets his fingers run through the blonde hair. His head is damp and Liam can feel his own body temperature rise as Niall's cries get louder.

"Um...Niall, maybe you have to... you know... go? It's okay if you do, I can change you right after!" Liam tries to ease the boy's fears.

"Can't! Wan Mumma! Mumma halp Ni!" Niall digs his fingers into Liam's thigh as he calls out for his Mum. Liam frowns, his heart breaking a little further at the boy's words.

"Oh, baby... I know you do. She's not here anymore, remember? It's okay though, I'm going to take good care of you. You can do it. You're so brave, love, and after you'll feel so much better." Liam's hands move down Niall's back, rubbing in circles on the damp heated skin.

There's a knock at the doorway. Liam looks up to see Louis looking in. "Can I come in? Maybe I can help?"

Liam is weary, but he nods anyways, looking back down at Niall's distressed state. When Niall notices the other man, he mewls and turns, hiding his face in Liam's side.

"Niall, let's go potty, Liam will help you. He's going to take amazing care of you. But let's start by getting to the loo, alright lad?" Louis's voice has changed from the previous conversation. It's soft and tender, as if he is speaking to a small child instead of a teenager.

Liam looks thankful when he sees that Louis is actually going to help and he takes a deep breath. He agrees with Louis and moves to lift Niall. When the little one is safely in Liam's arms, he stands and carries him down the hall to the bathroom.

He flicks on the lights with his elbow. Liam tries not to stare at the top of Niall's nappy poking out above the khakis. Instead he turns and looks to see Louis opening a folded flannel and rinsing it under the faucet.

He wrings it out and folds it into a long rectangle. He places it on Niall's neck and apologizes when the boy hisses at the temperature. "Okay now, Niall you need to help us, do you feel like you can push it out?"

Liam blushes at Louis's bluntness. He can't imagine having to ask the boy these questions on his own.

"Ni twied! No come out!" Niall tucks his head onto Liam's shoulder. "Peas, Ey-yum, make ouchie stahp."

"Wish I could bug, wish I could. Louis's going to help though," Liam hushes the boy then looks to his friend for confirmation, "right?"

Louis smiles at the boy in Liam's arms. "Course. Niall, would you feel more comfortable going on the toilet?"

"NO! No big potty! No!" Niall shouts, wiggling in Liam's arms, flannel falling down to the tile with a thud.

Harry pokes his head in then, "Hey! What's with all the shouting?" He walks into the bathroom like it's completely normal to join friends in there. He stands there with his hands in his pocket looking at the three other people.

Zayn hangs back by the door and watches quietly. Liam begins bickering with Louis and Harry, going on about how Niall's not going to be forced into anything he doesn't want to, and Louis defending his words, trying to explain they have to try all options until they know what works.

Niall's still crying, and when Liam turns slightly, the boy's wet blue eyes meet Zayn's brown ones. Niall's eyes plead silently with Zayn to help him.

Zayn walks up to Liam and takes Niall out of his arms. Liam barely notices though because he's so involved in the argument with Harry and Louis.

Zayn carries Niall into Liam's bedroom and shuts the door. The voices are immediately muted. He sits on the floor with his back to the bed, leaning backwards as he helps Niall turn slightly.

"Niall, how can I help you?" He asks, waiting while Niall tries to calm himself enough to have Zayn make sense of his words.

"Rub... rub Ni belly?" Niall asks, looking nervous as he meets Zayn's eyes then looks to the shut door.

Zayn unbuttons the top of Niall's pants and begin to rub small circles. He pauses when he feels Niall's stomach gurgle, then continues.

Small whimpers leave Niall's lips and he wiggles to the floor, staying on his knees so the pressure is off his bum. He's leaning into Zayn's lap, grabbing for the older man's hands.

"Baby, just let it go. It'll be okay. We'll take care of you." Zayn whispers to Niall. Niall's whimpers turn to grunts, Zayn can hear the wrinkling of the nappy as it fills.

When Niall is done, he falls forwards and let's the tears continue to fall. His cheeks are bright red as he turns his head to look at Zayn.

"Hey, don't be embarrassed. We all do it. I'm very proud of you! You did so well!" Zayn moves to press a kiss to Niall's head. As he's pulling back the bedroom door opens and Liam's worried eyes find Zayn.

Liam quickly makes his way across the room and kneels next to the two. His nose wrinkles as he catches a whiff of Niall, but he ignores it. His only concern is to find out how Niall is.

"Baby bug, are you alright? Do you feel better? I'm sorry I got distracted with Harry and Louis." Liam is leaning down to see the boy's face. Niall stays quiet, still clutching Zayn. When Liam holds his hands out to take Niall, the boy leans over and slides to Liam's lap.

"Shhhh, it's alright Niall. So proud of you, you are so brave. I know that was scary for you." Liam presses multiple kisses into the blonde's temple.

"Yucky." Niall whispers, sniffling and wiping his nose on Liam's shoulder. Liam flinches at that, but doesn't comment on it. The older man nods and stands, pulling Niall up with him. He struggles for a moment, trying to figure out how to carry Niall so he's not pushing whatever is in his diaper against the boy's bottom.

Liam realizes it's really unavoidable. Taking a deep breath, he plants a hand underneath Niall and just ignores the way the diaper is warm. Zayn is brushing himself off by the time Liam and Niall get to the door.

He calls out to Liam. "I'll distract Louis and Harry in the kitchen."

Liam turns, confusion written on his face, silently asking, 'why' to the other man. "Niall's embarrassed, I don't think he needs his cheeks to turn further red." Zayn states pointing to the boy's cheeks. He walks closer to the two of them and kisses Niall's forehead. He throws Niall's shirt over Liam's free shoulder.

He slips past Liam, saying as he makes his way to the living room where he can hear the others, "Give me a shout if you need help."

Liam nods and heads to the bathroom. He stops on his way and grabs a towel. "Crap, I already have to do laundry. Going to be out of towels soon." He shuts the door and pulls the towel out from under his arm and lays it on the floor.

"Ey-yum, yucky. No yike." Niall grumbled, clinging to Liam's shirt.

"I know babe, I'm going to get you all cleaned up. Here, lay down and I'll grab your stuff." Liam set Niall's feet down on the towel. The boy frowned but lay down, bringing his fingers up to his mouth to bite on.

"Ni, leave your poor fingernails alone. You're going to hurt the tips of your fingers." Liam pulls at the boy's hand, and quickly replaces it with a dummy he had stored in his pocket.

Niall hums happily, and stares up at the ceiling until he notices Liam placing his changing items next to him.

Liam kneels by Niall's feet and reaches forwards to unbutton Niall's khakis. He undoes the zipper and asks the boy to lift his bottom up so he can slide the trousers down.

Niall complies, watching with wide blue eyes. When Liam sees the boy watching, he pauses for a moment, completely floored at the sense of trust radiating off the other.

"Alright, baby, let's do this." Liam sighs, taking a deep breath before reaching for the tabs on the side of Niall's nappy.

The nappy drops and Liam gags, turning his head as he gasps for air. "Holy shit..."

Liam hears Niall shift, and Liam jumps to keep the boy where he is. "No, no, Ni, stay there. Um," he gags again, struggling to keep his dinner down, "I'll be right back, I just- uh, need a moment. Hang on. You stay there, I'll be right back."

Liam scrambles to the doorway and leaves it open as he enters the hallway. Zayn is at the other end of the hallway, watching for the two. He stands up straighter when he sees Liam exit the bathroom, and looks expectantly behind him. When Niall doesn't follow, he walks down to poke his head in the bathroom and notices Niall laying there, watching silently with the plastic dummy bobbing rhythmically.

When he turns back to ask Liam what's going on, the younger man is hunched over, hands braced on his knees, breathing deeply into his left elbow.

"Liam, what's wrong? You okay?" Zayn reaches out to place a hand on the other man's back when Liam gasps out.

"The smell, oh my god, you have no idea how bad it is. I can't deal with that on a regular basis, Zee!" Liam frantically says to Zayn.

Zayn frowns and swipes at Liam. "Keep your mouth shut, Liam! He'll hear you. He's just... You can't think of him like... He's just a baby, you know? He doesn't understand what he's done is out of his control, and by the way, a completely normal bodily function. He'll think he did something wrong!"

Liam shakes his head and stands up, whispering back at Zayn. "But it's a lot! And it's so gross, like it's just everywhere! And I'm not sure I can..."

Zayn cuts him off, moving closer as he lowers his voice. "Would you tell a baby he's gross and that even though he has no idea what he's doing that makes him gross, you can't deal with it so he's on his own? You going to say that to a baby?"

Liam deflates a bit and agrees, he could never do that to a child of any age.

"Then," Zayn continues, "why would you do it to that little boy in there? You didn't see how stressed he was when I found him, and how when I told him that first night in my cruiser that I was going to bring him somewhere safe and that the man I was bringing him to would love him entirely and without hesitation."

Liam stays quiet as he stares at Zayn, letting the man's words sink in. Liam sets his shoulders back and lets his mouth thin into a line laced with determination.

Zayn adds on, "He was just so scared."

Liam's attention is drawn to the cries of Niall filtering out the bathroom door. He steps around Zayn, feeling awful that he left the boy alone for so long, assuming that is Niall's cause for cry.

Liam walks back into the bathroom, kneeling again before Niall as he rushes to hush the boy. "It's okay, Ni, I'm back, love. I'm sorry I left you so long. Come on, let's get you cleaned up then!"

It's then that Niall looks down towards his toes, noticing Liam's return. He looks back to his left where Liam notices his arm is outstretched, trying to reach for something.

He cries out again, looking down to Liam. "Ey-ey-ey-y-yum! Dummy! Mine dummy! Halp!"

It's then that Liam notices the pacifier, laying mere inches away from Niall's fingertips. Leaning forwards on his hands and knees, Liam picks up the dummy and rises, rinsing it in the sink.

Making his way back to Niall, the boy's whimpers were stopped when Liam placed the small plastic plug into the younger one's mouth. He smiled down at the boy's now content features and ran a hand through the blond's hair.

"Ready to get cleaned up now?" Liam asked, waiting for the other to give consent before he knelt back down and mentally braced himself.

Liam held his breath and schooled his features as he wiped at Niall's bottom. He used about double the amount of wipes necessary, but was proud when he finished cleaning the boy. He rolled up the dirty nappy and tossed it into the trash bin.

Niall watched silently as Liam looked down on him from where he was standing. The boy saw the brown eyes flicker from him to the bathtub then back to him again.

Niall huffed and bounced a bit on the floor, impatient and shaking his head. Liam noticed and chuckled. He bent down to put another nappy on him as he talked. "What, you don't think you need a bath, is that it?"

Niall shook his head and shivered as Liam rubbed cream on his bum. Liam pulled the nappy up and over Niall's crotch, securing the younger boy into the diaper.

Niall held his arms out when Liam finished, silently asking to be lifted. Liam pulled the boy up and laughed when Niall bounced again, eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. "Hang on, love, got to get your trousers up. Then I can hold you."

Liam pulled on the khakis and secured the button as he asked, "What would you like to do now?" He paused, tugging on his shirt from earlier before lifting Niall into his arms, clasping his hands together under the boy's bottom.

Laughter filtered down the hallway as Niall shrugged his shoulders, leaning his head gently against the older man's neck. Niall nuzzled further into Liam's neck the closer they got to the living room. Liam pressed a quick kiss to Niall's forehead as he walked up to the others in the room.

"Hey little lad, all set now?" Louis asked, reaching a hand out to pat Niall on the back. The blonde slowly nodded, blinking silently at the older man in front of him.

Harry held up the telly remote and waved it side to side. "Think you might be up for a movie? We were just trying to decide on one." He sat down on the love seat, pulling Louis down next to him before turning on the tv.

Zayn sat on the couch and picked up the PS4 controller and started the console, quickly pulling up the Netflix menu. He began scanning through the titles and patted the cushion next to him. Liam looked at each of his friends before trying to look at Niall, finding his face still pressed close to his own neck.

"Does that sound good, love? A movie?" Liam asked, waiting for a nod or some sort of motion of acceptance. When he gets it, he moves forwards towards the couch and lowers the boy onto it.

"Stay with Zayn for a moment, I'm going to grab some drinks and," Liam paused, looking around at his friends as he asked, "anyone up for some popcorn?"

Everyone shouted out their agreements and Liam glanced at Niall once more before heading to the kitchen.

He got a bag of popcorn out of the pantry cabinet and placed it in the microwave, hitting the popcorn button so he wouldn't burn it. He began grabbing glasses and a bottle of Coca-Cola before filling each glass with ice. He picked up the four glasses and held them in his two hands, turning and nearly dropping them all when he saw Niall standing silently next to him.

"Christ, Niall! I didn't even hear you sneak up on me! Gave me half a heart attack! Man, what are you up to anyways?" Liam exclaimed.

Niall pulled out the dummy and raised his arms up to Liam, pouting and saying, "Miss you. Cahwee me?"

Liam looked down at the glasses before raising his eyes to meet Niall's large blinking innocently blue ones. He bit his lip as Niall sniffled and took a small baby step closer to him.

Liam sighed, placing the glasses back on the countertop. He picked Niall up and sat him against his own hip. He presses a kiss to the boy's cheek and carried Niall back to the living room.

Zayn's laughing quietly when they round the couch, hand held tightly over his mouth to try and muffle the noise.

"What?" Liam asks, letting Niall slide onto the couch again from his arms. He turns to look at Harry and Louis and don't see either of their smiles, as their hands are over their mouths as well.

"Nothing, mate." Zayn replies, stifling his giggles. Liam frowns, squinting his eyes at the dark haired man before turning and making his way back into the kitchen.

He looks at the glasses onto the counter before recalling Niall's attempt with a cup earlier in the day, how cautious he was lifting it to his mouth and how the boy still managed to spill.

Liam hesitates only for a moment before picking up a sippy cup and filling it with milk. He tucks it under his arm and carefully lifts the four glasses into his hands. He turns and lets out a less than manly squeal.

Niall is standing silently in the kitchen not two steps away from Liam. When the younger boy sees Liam notice him, he frowns from behind his dummy and lifts his hands into the air.

Liam sighs and puts everything down once again and lifts Niall into his arms. He talks to the boy as he walks back into the living room. "Niall, love, stay with Zayn, okay? I just need to grab a few things then we're going to watch a movie."

Zayn, Louis and Harry all have knowing smiles on their faces when Liam returns with Niall in his arms. He lowers Niall onto the couch before lifting a finger at the blond and telling Niall, "Stay."

Louis cracks up and Liam glares at him. "Well he's not a bloody dog!" Louis chuckles, leaning into Harry's shoulder as he laughs harder.

Liam huffs and stomps back into the kitchen. The same thing happens three more times in a row. Niall quietly follows Liam back into the kitchen, only to be carried back to the living room.

This time he hears when Niall enters the kitchen, the fast paced sucking noise of the dummy gives him away as Liam pulls out the first bag of popcorn and puts another one in.

He frowns and turns, pointing to the living room. "Niall! Stay in the living room! I'm not going to get anything done if I have to keep carrying you!"

The sucking noise slows and Niall's shoulders sag. Niall's emotions go from zero to sixty, tears quickly filling his eyes and his nose and cheeks turning red.

He whispers a "Sowwie, Ey-yum..." He turns and makes his way back into the living room. He hears the laughter die and Zayn's concerned voice, "Hey, what's wrong, Ni? Aw, love, don't cry!"

Liam groans and carries the glasses and sippy cup, finally getting them to the living room and sets them down on the coffee table. He sees Niall curled up against Zayn, the boy's face tucked into the darker haired man's chest. Zayn is rubbing Niall's back and whispering to the boy.

Louis and Harry stay silent, watching Liam's movements. Liam sighs and turns to head back into the kitchen, but decides last minute to head down the hallway.

It takes him a few minutes but Liam locates the beloved blankie and stuffed monkey. Liam spreads the blankie over Niall while still standing behind the couch. It startles the boy a bit, he jumps and looks around for a moment before noticing where Liam is standing. Liam holds out George silently. The boy takes the monkey and tucks it under his arm. He turns and lays back down, tucking his head into Zayn's chest.

Liam turns and heads back into the kitchen, grabbing the fizzy drink and dumps both bags of popcorn into a large bowl. He carries both items back into the living room and sets them down next to the glasses.

Louis is now in charge of the PS4 controller and is scanning through film titles. "Oi, what about this one?" He asks.

Liam's eyes widen and he quickly looks at Louis. "Are you kidding me? We are not watching that! He'll have nightmares for weeks!"

Louis laughs and continues to scroll on from 'The Hills Have Eyes'.

Liam hits Louis on the shoulder before going back into the kitchen to get bowls for the popcorn. He grabs four ceramic bowls and gets Niall's Batman bowl.

When he gets back to the living room for the final time, he passes out the bowls and holds onto Niall's. He notices someone filled the glasses with the Coca-Cola. He fills his bowl and Niall's and places them on the table. He has to step over Zayn's now raised and reclined legs and grabs his and Niall's cup and puts them closer to the opposing edge of the table, before he sits down on the couch next to the boy.

Louis takes his time selecting a movie, Niall ignoring Liam until Harry stands up to shut off the lights. The glow of the telly gives off a little light, but apparently not enough to make Niall feel comfortable. He sits up, letting his blue eyes dart over at Liam a few times before slowly leaning into the older man's side.

Liam chuckles and brings an arm up and tucks it around Niall's shoulders. "I'm sorry for raising my voice and getting frustrated before. I know I've got to be more patient with you. Forgive me?"

Niall nods and snuggles deeper into Liam's side. Liam smiles and kisses the top of Niall's soft hair. Zayn catches Liam's eyes over the top of Niall's head. The darker haired man smiles, letting his grin grow bigger when Liam mirrors his actions.

They both jump when Niall begins shouting and bouncing up and down while pointing at the telly, dummy now lost under the blanket. "George! George! Ah! Wan George moobie! George moobie, Ey-yum! Back! Go back! Wan George! Peas?! Peas we watch George moobie?!"

Louis scrolls backwards until the bright yellow movie poster is filling the screen. "This? I can't watch this, Niall, it's for little--ompf- ow Harry! What the hell? Don't jab me with those boney little things you call elbows! That really bloody hurt!"

Harry is giving Louis raised eyebrows and frowns at him. He flickers his eyes over at Niall before meeting Louis's blue ones.

"Peas, Ouie?" Niall begs, sitting up straight with wide eyes.

Louis looks from Harry to Niall, and then back again to Harry. "Babe, really? 'Curious George'? You want us to watch..." He checked the screen before continuing, "eighty-six minutes of a cartoon monkey?"

Harry smiled at him and nodded.

Louis stared at Harry, waiting for him to break, but before it could, Niall's voice rang out again, "Peas Ouie, watch George moobie?"

Louis squinted his eyes at Harry, groaning after a moment and clicking on the movie. Niall clapped and pulled George out from under his blanket, setting the stuffed monkey next to him, propped up against the back of the couch so he could watch as well.

Louis rolled his eyes at the boy's actions, nudging Harry to look at Niall as well. "Aww..." Harry whispered, wrapping his arm around Louis's and hugging it tight.

Niall patted George's head before leaning back against Liam. Liam leaned the two of them forwards, grabbing the boy's sippy cup, tucking it in between his leg and the couch's arm, before leaning back with both of their bowls of popcorn. Liam handed Niall his plastic bowl, little yellow ovals with the bat symbol circling the edge.

Niall sniffs at the food, before taking a single piece and nibbling on it. He tastes it for a moment, deciding he likes it and begins to pop more pieces into his mouth. The bowl is safely resting on his blanket covered lap while his cheeks quickly fill with popcorn.

Zayn looks over and sees Niall's chipmunk cheeks and taps Liam on the shoulder. When the brunette looks over, he motions at Niall. Zayn smiles as Liam panics, telling the boy to slowly chew and swallow. He gives him his sippy cup and makes sure he takes a few gulps of milk before turning his eyes back to Zayn.

The two share a smile. Zayn keeps his hand on Liam's shoulder, his fingertips rubbing soothing patterns into the fabric.


	8. Chapter 8

Ch 8

The credits rolled and Liam lifted up his wrist to check the time. It was barely 21:00. He peered down at the boy slouched and leaning heavily against his side and noticed the deep and even breaths the younger one was taking.

"Zee? Can you pull him off me for a sec? So I can get a better grip on him?" Liam whispered, nodding at Niall's sleeping body.

Harry stirred from beneath Louis, the two having laid down in the beginning of the movie. Liam caught his eye and explained, "I'm just going to bring him to his bed, you guys can hang out still, we can probably put on another movie. It's only just gone nine."

Harry rubbed Louis' back, waiting for the older one to wake up. "Hmmm?" Louis mumbled, stretching his arms and legs over Harry's chest and legs.

"Baby, you want to head out or stay at Liam's for a bit?" Harry whispered in Louis's ear.

Louis pushed himself up, wiped at his eyes before yawning and looking around. He watched as Liam placed his hands under the boy's underarms and lifted him up.

"Let's head out. I'm knackered." Louis yawned again.

Liam held Niall in his arms, the boy completely passed out on his shoulder. Liam shifted the sleeping boy up further and repositioned his arm under Niall's bottom. In his sleep, Niall slides his hand up from dangling loosely over Liam's back, to grip tightly at his shoulder, Liam's tshirt bunching in the boy's grip.

"I'm going to go put him down real quick, I'll be right back to see you guys out." Liam whispered, bringing an arm up and gently letting it run over the boy's back.

Louis slid his shoes on. "Nah, mate, don't worry about it. You've still got to get him in jammies and change him probably, so, we'll see ourselves out."

Harry waved good bye as well and the two let the door snick shut quietly behind them.

"I forgot about that." Liam whispered to Zayn, "I haven't had to do this before, he's always been awake and has told me when he needed to be changed."

Liam frowned and look down at the boy as he twitched in his sleep, a small snuffle sounding from the boy's pouting lips. Liam hugged him and pressed his lips against Niall's temple.

Zayn stretched and picked up Niall's blanket, shaking it out and folding it over his right arm as he reached with the other one to collect George and his dummy.

Zayn quietly followed Liam down the hall and watched as he placed Niall on top of his covers. Liam waited to make sure Niall wasn't going to wake up from the movement before heading to his own room to get some pajamas for Niall to wear.

He returned with a dark green and navy plaid pair of pants and an old white tshirt. He placed them down next to Niall's still sleeping form before turning to get the necessary items for changing Niall. Nearing the bedroom door, he stopped short when Liam ran into Zayn.

Zayn's arms were full of wipes, nappies and rash cream. "Here," he whispered, handing over the items to Liam, "thought maybe I could help speed it up for you."

Liam thanked him and brought the items to the bed. Liam gently unbuttoned Niall's khakis and unzipped them. He tried pulling on them to get them off but they barely budged.

"I'll lift and you can pull, okay?" Zayn asked, still whispering as he moved around the bed to get to Niall's side. Liam nodded and got a good grip on the fabric of Niall's pants. Zayn slid his hands under Niall's lower back and above his knees. He braced his own knee against the bed and lifted the boy's lower half.

Liam pulled slowly and grinned when he was able to get the khakis down to Zayn's hand. Zayn gently lowered Niall's body and leaned back. Niall stirred, a small cry leaving his lips. Zayn hushed the boy, stretching to grab the dummy he put on the bed earlier and rubbed it against Niall's lower lip.

"Shhhh, Ni, shhhhh. It's alright, go back to sleep." Zayn soothed the boy, smiling down at Niall when he settled down and took the dummy.

Zayn looked to his right and noticed Liam watching. The younger man blushed and dropped his eyes, finishing pulling off Niall's pants. He easily removed Niall's socks and hesitated on what to do next. He decided to tackle the wet nappy and get it out of the way.

"Um, I'm gonna change him now. I, uh, am not sure how he would feel about you being so...well, I guess it's not a big deal. He's a kid, and kids don't really care about who sees their bits, right?" Liam asked, rubbing the back of his neck as he spoke.

Zayn shrugged, "I guess not. Unless it makes you uncomfortable. But..." Zayn hesitated, looking down at the snoozing blonde before swallowing and finishing his sentence, "he felt comfortable enough to, you know, go, in his nappy, in front of me."

Liam nodded. "Very true, he wouldn't do that, I'd imagine, without being comfortable with you."

Zayn busied himself with watching Niall sleep as Liam got to work untapping the nappy. "Wow," he commented, "good thing Lou said something, if I let him sit in that all night his rash would have gotten worse. It's only been a couple hours and he's red like he was before."

Liam frowned, wincing slightly as he cleaned the boy. Niall shivered in his sleep, pouted and let out a small whine. "Nooo, cohl!"

Liam put the dirty wipe down and ran a hand over Niall's belly. "Almost done, love, go back to sleep. It's alright."

Niall stretched, his arms raising above his head, before he began to rhythmically suck on his dummy. His eyes slowly shut as he lulled himself back into his slumbering state.

Zayn chuckled as he watched the smaller boy fall back to sleep with ease. "You would think that he hasn't slept in days!"

Liam looked down at Niall after cleaning his hand off from the rash cream. He pulled up the front and securely attached the tabs as he responded to Zayn quietly, not wanting to wake the blonde. "Well, we really don't know if that's true or not. He may very well've not slept in days."

Zayn stopped smiling and frowned. He looked back down at Niall and whispered, "Poor kiddo."

Liam left Niall's khakis crumpled on the floor next to his own feet and reached for his own flannel pajama pants that Niall was borrowing. He gently slid each foot in to its corresponding leg hole and shimmed them up Niall's leg until his bare toes were poking out.

"Can you lift him again?" Liam asked, nodding at the boy's nappy covered waist. Zayn nods and gently raises the boy while Liam gets the soft fabric on him all the way.

He frowns when he lifts up a spare tshirt and looks at Niall's sleeping form. Liam places it down next to the blonde and starts to pull on the long sleeves of Niall's warm jumper.

Niall stayed asleep as Liam pried the boy's arms out of the clothing and bundled it up by his chest. He stirred slightly when Liam had to pull it over the blonde's head, whining in his sleep as his body temperature decreased a bit.

Liam chuckled and hushed the boy, quickly jumping to the side as Niall's legs were pulled up then out in protest.

"Hey now, none of that from you!" Liam spoke to the still sleepy boy.

"No moh..." Niall mumbled.

Zayn watched as Liam pulled back the spare bedroom bed's covers. Niall crawled up and pressed his face into the cool pillow. Liam lifted the covers and let them billow down on top of Niall as he curled into himself.

Zayn smiled as Niall tucked his knees underneath his chest, causing his covered bum to raise into the air. Liam headed to the door, turning and waiting for Zayn to follow.

The older man paused at the end of the bed, leaning down to pick up the forgotten about blankie and monkey.

Zayn tiptoed around the bed, lifting the blankets to slip both items close to the boy's body, should he wake up and want them.

Liam shut the light as Zayn stepped out into the hallway. Liam closed the door partially and followed the darker brunette down the hallway and back into the living room.

"So, you think he's adjusting well?" Zayn asked, sitting sideways on the couch to chat. Liam followed suit, mirroring Zayn's position.

"I mean, I guess so, considering everything that's happened so far. I've got a lot to learn about him, but I've already figured a lot out. Unfortunately some of it had to be the hard way..." Liam chuckled as he finished his thought, thinking of Niall sleeping without a nappy and him trying to climb in the freezer case at the supermarket.

"If you ever, um, you know, need help with anything... You can always ask. I just... I don't want what happened in the past with, well, us and that whole horrible um, yeah... Just don't let that stop you, okay? You know I'll always be here to help you." Zayn stumbled over his words, trying to ignore the blush that he was sure was staining his cheeks.

Liam gave a tiny smile and nodded, thanking him and reassure him that he would take him up on the offer if need be.

Zayn stifled a yawn and looked over at the television, the screen for the Curious George movie Niall had insisted on still up.

"Want to, um, watch something else?" Zayn asked carefully.

Liam looked down at his fingernails before giving a tight smile to his friend. "Sure. You pick though."

Zayn returned be grin and picked up the remote, and began to scroll through the titles. He stopped on an action flick that had come out a couple years ago.

Ten minutes in, both were passed out on the couch.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Liam woke up disoriented, having heard a strange noise. He was not in his bedroom, that was for sure.

First of all, he has a wicked crick in his neck, and he's not staring at his ceiling fan. He's smiles for a split second as someone snuggles into his chest a little more. He takes a deep breath, inhaling the sweet sleepy scent of Zayn.

His eyes pop open as he freezes, seizing in fear as he realizes who he is clinging to in his sleep. Zayn groans, his eyes staying shut as the older man turns his head and raises it. Zayn smacks his lips, eyes still closed, not realizing how his lips glide along Liam's neck, making all the little tiny hairs on his body raise up.

Liam is internally panicking as he becomes less groggy and fully aware of how tight he is holding onto the darker haired man. Liam hears a low noise coming from down the hall.

The noise gets a little louder and it takes all of half a second for Liam to realize that is the strange noise that woke him up and another half of the second to realize what, or rather, who, is making that noise.

Zayn gets pushed to the side as Liam scrambles to get up and runs down the dark hallway to the spare bedroom.

He hits his shoulder on the doorframe on his way in, his body moving faster than what his brain can comprehend. Flicking on the lights, Liam sees Niall sitting up in the middle of the bed, eyes scrunched shut as salty streams pour down his face.

Liam takes a quick visual assessment of the situation, not noticing any immediate or obvious threats or injuries to the little lad. He sits on the bed, one knee bent as he goes to untangle Niall's legs from the blankets.

"Niall, love, it's okay. Shhhhh, what's wrong love bug?" Liam rubs the boy's back as he whispers.

It takes Niall a few moments to answer, having got himself so worked up while crying. The older brunette can barely make out the boy's words through the gasps and stutters.

"W-w-wo-...Ni wo-woke up and, and, and, n-n-nooooooooo Ey-ey-ey-yum a-and n-nooooo dum-dummy! Ni ca-ca-" Niall breaks off and leans heavily against the older one's shoulders, letting himself be soothed for a moment before trying to finish his sentence.

"Ni ca-ca-call fo' mine Ey-yum! You...you no yeeb Ni doh."

Liam gives a small frown, pulling his arms tighter around the younger one. "Aw, love, I'm sorry, I was sleeping, I didn't hear you!" The brunette pulls back and crooks his head so he can see the tear streaked face.

"I would never, ever leave you. Ever. No," Liam pulls Niall's chin up so that the boy can't avoid looking into his own eyes, "look at me. I won't leave you, I promise you Niall."

Niall is quiet as the words sink in. "But..." He begins, hesitating and nervous, bringing his hands up to the mouth, "mine Mumma, she...she say dat too. Then...then she... Ey-yum why she yeeb!?"

Tears puddle on Niall's lower eyelashes. He falls into Liam's chest as the older boy cuddles him close, wishing away the sadness within the little boy in his arms.

"Niall, I'm sure your Mum would much rather be with you and not, um, well, away from you. Zayn and the other nice police officers are going to figure out why all this happened though. I'm here though, I'll keep you safe and sound. Okay, love?" Liam finishes with a whisper, pressing kisses to the boy's forehead.

Liam checks the time, seeing that it's still the middle of the night, loads of time before the sun will be up. Liam bites at his lip, debating in his head what to do. Niall is sitting with his head against Liam's shoulder, sniffling every few seconds.

He rocks Niall slowly in his arms, pressing kisses every so often to whatever part of Niall's head he can reach. Niall's sniffles slow and his eyelids slowly drop closed.

Liam cautiously slides the boy back under his covers and tiptoes to the doorway. He silently makes his way out to the hallway and back towards the living room. Liam frowns when he sees the empty couch, rumpled looking throw pillow laying forgotten on the floor.

"He fall back to sleep?"

Liam jumps out of his skin, turning and losing his balance at the unexpected voice from behind him.

"What the f- oh my god, Zayn! You nearly made me lose my bloody heart!” Liam exclaimed, clutching his chest where his heart beat hard against his ribcage. He takes a few deep breaths before noticing that Zayn is covering his mouth, shoulders heaving as he attempts to hide his laughter at the younger man’s misfortune.

Liam’s cheeks color as he watches the darker haired man continue to laugh. Zayn eventually finishes and turns to carry in two cups of tea he had made while Liam was attending to Niall. He explains as such, and continues to add, “I wasn’t sure how long you would be. Hope you still, um, like your tea, like you used to? Drop of milk and two sugars?”

Liam clears his throat. He looks down before mumbling, "Um, yes that's how I take my tea still... Just uh, not in the dead of night, you know? It would take me ages to fall back asleep properly, but, um, thank you though, Zee. That was thoughtful of you."

Zayn looks down at the two steaming cups of tea in his hands. "Yeah, suppose that was a pretty daft move of me, eh?" He looks down again and sighs.

Liam feels something like guilt simmer in his belly as he watches Zayn move to the sink.

"Wait a moment, just..." Liam catches Zayn before it's too late for the tea, "just leave it out. We can reheat it in the morning."

Zayn pauses and nods, turning to leave it next to the deep sink as Liam suggested. He shuffles back to the couch and sits for a moment. Blinking blearily up at Liam before asking with a yawn, "Are you...are you coming back to lay down or are you going to head back to your room?"

Liam rubs the back of his neck, he knows what he wants to say, and he knows what he should say, and he knows how the two options completely contradict each other.

Liam bites his lip, and clears his throat, his eyes not moving from a spot to the left of Zayn, before suggesting, "If you want, we could hang out in my bedroom. It's comfier and there's a lot more space to stretch out in."

Zayn blushes and looks down, twisting his fingers around the throw pillow he has pulled into his lap. “You mean...like on your bed? With me? Are you sure… are you sure you’re comfortable with that? I don’t want like… for you to feel like you have to offer that to me just because I’m here. I don’t want you to think I’m taking advantage of you.”

Liam takes a deep breath, rolls his eyes and steps forward. He reaches down and takes Zayn’s hand in his own and pulls. When Zayn is on his feet, he turns and tugs the older man along behind him as they walk down the hallway. Liam stops by the guest room door- Niall’s door and tilts his head to the side. He is silent as he listens to the quiet little huffs leaving the boy’s lips.

“Sound asleep.” He whispers, then continues on to his bedroom.

“Zayn, I know that, well, things didn’t end on the best of terms for us, but I want you to know that I still consider you my friend and I couldn’t be more happier that you brought Niall into my life.” Liam explains, moving to the bed to pull down the comforter. He tosses a few extra pillows to the floor before adding on, “Even though I was a tad overwhelmed at first. I think I’m getting the hang of it.”

Warm brown eyes crinkle as a smile slides up on Zayn’s face. “I’m glad. I knew as soon as I had a moment to breathe after finding him that you were the only one that would be perfect to take care of him.”

Liam smiles, slipping under the covers as he watches Zayn do the same. The smile falls off his face for a split second. “Shit, I forgot. I have that convention thing for the company I’m designing the website for next month. It’s in the States… I have to figure out if I can take him with me, or like, if he even has a passport! Fuck, I really need to go to this thing. I can't leave him though, be that far away from him!”

Liam flings back the cover and looks about for his cell phone. “I need to call Eleanor, fuck, how did I not think of this before!?”

Liam stills when he feels a hand pull on his shoulder. He looks at the owner of the hand and sees Zayn with a small smile playing on his lips.

“Liam, it’s three in the morning. You can’t call Eleanor now, she’ll think that there’s an emergency.” Zayn calmly states.

Liam tiredly groans, “This is an emergency, what if- what if I’m not allowed to take him with me? Zee, I’ve been committed to this event for over a year now, I can’t not go!”

Liam frowns as Zayn smiles again at him. “It’s nothing that can’t wait til seven. Okay? I’ll even set an alarm for you and you can call her at a more reasonable time.”

The younger man allows himself to be pulled back down with Zayn’s arm slipping up and around his shoulder. “This alright?” Zayn whispers into his ear.

The older man smiles when he feels Liam nod sleepily against his chest.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

There’s a giggle and a poke.

Liam pushes at the intruding fingers, burrowing deeper into the blankets. “Hey! Stop it.” He murmurs. The tired man grunts when two warm hands shake his shoulders a bit more and Liam cracks open one eye to see who is invading his sleep.

“Hi Ey-yum.”

Liam smiles sleepily, eyes closing again as he whispers a greeting back at the boy.

“Ey-yum, Zay say Ni wakey you up up. So, I wakey you up up nowah. Ey-yum make Ni breakie?” Niall asks, climbing onto the bed to shake Liam from a better angle.

“Ni, just hang on a mo. I’m still trying to wake up. Be a good lad and go tell Zayn to heat up me tea, alright?” Liam props himself up on his elbow and wipes the sleep from his eyes. He watches as Niall shouts an, “Otay!” before he goes running with a wide wobble.

Liam falls back against the warm sheets and takes a deep breath. He turns his head and smells the pillow that the darker haired man used last night. He smiles at the fuzzy memory of late night kisses and lazy saturday morning breakfasts in bed from long, long ago.

A moment later he hears Niall pad into the room. “Zay say ‘Otay’, Ey-yum.” He pauses for a moment to crawl up the bed again, falling onto the pillow next to Liam. “Zay also say, ‘Tell ‘im you wet, Ni,’ so, I tell you I wet. An itchy. Ni berwy itchy. No yike.”

A chuckle escapes Liam followed by a loud sigh.

“Alright, I’m up. Let’s get you changed. To the loo, love.” Liam announced, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and leveraging himself into a sitting position. Niall held out his arms, eyes wide and blue.

The blonde smiled as he was lifted into the air and into Liam’s arms. When his crotch was pressed against the older man’s hip however, he let out a small squeak of pain. Liam looked down at the sound and mirrored the boy’s now present frown.

Liam thought aloud, “Maybe we should think about getting some medicated stuff, from like a doct-” Liam was cut off midword by the squirming boy in his arms.

“NO! No doctah! NO WANT, Ey-yum! No no no no no!” Niall cried out, little fists balled up and accentuating each of his ‘no’s against Liam’s chest.

“Hey, hey now,” Liam calmly says, reaching out and holding down both the boy’s hands in one of his own, “ok, no doctor. Maybe we can just ask the one you saw last night to-”

Niall doesn’t wait for Liam to finish before he begins crying out and hitting again, this time rocking his body back and forth. Liam struggles to keep Niall from banging into the doorway as he leaves his bedroom and heads towards the bathroom. He sees a quick flash of Zayn peeking out from the kitchen as he enters the bathroom.

“Babe, you need to calm down and listen to what I have to say. I’m not going to make you do anything that you don’t want to. You know this, I have kept every promise I've made to you.” Liam attempts to convince the boy, but is quickly shot down when the boy’s reply is laced with attitude. “Ni no wan doctah lass nigh, and Ey-yum may me. Nah twue.”

Liam holds down the laugh at Niall’s serious pout, and soothes the boy by running a hand over the top of the blonde’s head. “Sometimes there are things that I don’t want to have to do, but you just still have to do them.”

A pouty “Yike wah?” comes quickly from the little boy’s mouth.

“Like eating vegetables. Or cleaning up your room. Or when you have to go get your teeth cleaned at the dentist’s office. These are things we just have to do, because they are good for us. We might not like them, but its for the best. And last night, I had to do what was best for you, regardless of the fact that I hated it too.” Liam explains. He grabs a towel, vowing to do some laundry today and lays it on the floor.

“Yew no yike?” Niall’s brow furrows as he laid down on the floor in front of Liam. The older man easily pulls down the boy’s pajama pants and begins to untape his nappy. Niall shivers at the feeling of the cold air at his bits.

“No, I hated leaving you when you were scared. If I had it my way none of this would have had to of happened to you. But then, I suppose, I never would have had the chance to meet you, and I just couldn’t have that!” Liam teases, bopping the boy on the nose as he prepares to wipe the rash cream on in a thick layer.

“Hmmm…” He hums to himself, watching as the white calms the beet red skin.

“Shall we get you dressed then, little man?” Liam pulls Niall up to his feet. He cleans up the area and gives Niall a loving pat on the head. Niall follows Liam back to his bedroom, noticing Zayn having appeared by the door.

“Zay! Ey-yum wakey up up!” Pointing to the brunette digging about in his closet.

“I see that, Niall. Good job.” Zayn smiles at the boy’s frank words.

Niall grins, blatantly pleased at the older man’s words of praise. The blonde turns to see what is taking Liam so long. Liam pulls out a pair of jeans that will probably need to be rolled up a few times, and a blue tshirt.

“We should probably do some shopping today for you, Ni, all of my things are so big on you.” Liam places the clothing down on his bed and reaches out for Niall. The boy is in a playful mood however and dodges the older man’s hands.  
Niall crawls over the large bed and slides to the ground on the other side. Liam laughs and chases after the boy, howling with laughter when he trips over the edge of the blankets on the floor and tumbles next to Zayn’s feet.

Liam lunges for Niall, who has taken refuge behind Zayn, and catches the very bottom of his pant leg. The plaid fabric easily slides down the boy’s narrow hips and causes Niall to trip.

Liam sees it in slow motion, Niall falling, and waits for the loud cry to follow. Instead he sees Zayn holding Niall up from under his arms and gently placed him on the soft carpeting.

“Oh! Are you alright, love?” Liam asks, pulling himself up onto his feet and brushing off his knees. Niall kicks his feet and pushes his pajama pants off his legs and crawls away, giggling the entire way.

Zayn picks up the soft pajamas and folds them, tucking them under his arm as he holds a hand out for Liam to grab. He hauls the younger man to his feet and holds out the pajamas to him. “Perhaps waiting til after breakie would be for the best anyways.”

Liam replies with a smile. “Yeah, suppose you're right. That kid could win a messy eater award!”

The two laugh quietly as they turn to make their way into the hallway to the kitchen. When they get there, they notice Niall’s absence.

“Niall? Where’d you go, bud?” Liam calls out, moving to the living room to search for the boy. “Oh no, Zayn, I think we lost him! He just disappeared!” Liam smiles, pointing to the nappy bum poking out of the blanket Niall is hiding under, giggles escaping the couch cushions.

Zayn catches on to what Liam is doing. “Oh well, that's too bad. You make an awesome breakie, I was going to ask you to make those amazing eggs, beans and toast you do. Well, now there's more for us!”

Zayn and Liam both have a hard time keeping their laughter to a minimum as they make a big show about going into the kitchen to start breakfast.

“You're lucky I bought those things yesterday from the store or you’d have one upset little boy on your hands.” Liam whispers as they walk into the kitchen.

“I already checked, hope you don't mind me poking around your cabinets.” Zayn runs a hand through his hair. They both turn when they hear bare feet smacking on the floor as Niall scrambles into the kitchen.

“Ni heyah! Ni heyah! Breakie nowah? Peas?” Niall clings to Liam’s arm, eyes wide and worried.

Liam smiles, running a hand over the top of Niall’s hair as he places a quick kiss on his forehead. “Course. So glad you found us, I was worried about you. Do you want your eggs scrambled or do you want them fried?”

He places Niall on a chair and pulls out the carton of eggs, can of beans and the loaf of sliced bread. He places them on the kitchen counter and bends down to get the frying pan and sauce pan. He places both of them on the stove top and turns to see Niall tapping his chin, giving extreme thought to his decision.

"Ni wan skambles." He finally decides, tacking on a, "Peas." after a few moments.

Liam nods and begins cooking, half listening to Niall talk with Zayn. He hears Niall disappear for a moment before coming back with his brand new Curious George coloring book and a handful of crayons.

He climbs carefully back into his chair and slides a few crayons over to Zayn. "Halp peas, Zay?"

Liam returns to cooking when he hears Zayn agree and the light scribbling of wax against paper.

Liam reaches into his cabinets to retrieve a plate and sippy cup for Niall. He dishes out the food when it's ready and brings it over to the boy before returning to plate the two older men their own serving of food.

"Niall do you want milk or orange juice this morning?" Liam asks, placing a plate of food in front of his darker haired guest. He notices two steaming cups of tea on the table and smiles at the other man for being thoughtful.

"Mowk." Niall says as he gnaws on his toast.

Liam places the now filled lidded cup down next to the boy and watches for a second as the boy chows down, not paying any attention to what is going on around him.

Liam pulls out his phone and holds it up, motioning silently towards the front door. "Before I forget to." Zayn nods and continues watching Niall pick up the beans with his hand and place them on his toast with a little scrambled egg.

Letting the front door close gently, Liam pulls out his phone and clicks on the new contact he added last night, Eleanor.

When she answers the phone, Liam clears his throat and introduces himself. "Hi Eleanor, this is Liam Payne, we met last night? I'm taking care of Niall Horan?"

"Is he okay?" She immediately asks, words coldly neutral.

"Oh!" Liam begins startled, "He's doing great! He's eating breakfast right now. I just had a concern about him related to my work. Ninety-five percent of the time I'm able to work from home, which, I think, Niall will really benefit from, you know, not having to be away from me for any real length of time. Problem is, is that I'm scheduled to attend a three day convention for the company I'm currently designing for. I have had this conference booked for over a year now, it would be impossible to get out of it, as it's about a month away."

"Well, what's the problem exactly?" Eleanor asks, a hint of sleep draping over her words.

"Well, it's um, a tad far away, like, in New York City?" Liam stumbles through his sentence, making it come out like a question.

"It's absolutely in New York City? Because to be honest, Liam, you don't sound too sure."

"No! It is, in New York City that is. So, like, I didn't know if he was allowed to come with me? Like, does he have a passport and all that? Is he allowed to travel with me?" Liam bites at his fingernails as he waits for her to answer.

"He doesn't have one. You don't need one to travel from Ireland to here. He was so young then, it wasn't a concern because he got placed into foster care right away and there was no need to look outside the country. It shouldn't be a problem to have him travel with you, we can get an expedited passport for him in about a week. We want him to stay with you and continue to build that relationship. I just have to sign off on a couple of forms, make sure you take them with you." Eleanor explains.

"Oh thank goodness. I was so worried, I knew I couldn't leave him. So what do I need to do to-" Liam is cut off as a ball of blonde hair comes ripping out of the front door and barreling himself at Liam.

He barely has enough time to register what is happening, as he catches Niall and not drops his cellphone.

Niall is clinging to him, trying to take deep breaths and calm himself down. "Ni-ni-ni- scawd Ey-yum go buh-byes!"

"Hold on, one moment Eleanor, let me just see what's going on." Liam holds the phone away from him as he assesses that Niall is okay, just upset.

"Ellanoh? Yew... Yew no wan Ni? Ni was bad boy?" Niall looks into Liam's eyes, blue ones quickly filling and becoming teary eyed. Instantly, Liam's own brown eyes are swimming too.

"Baby, absolutely not, you've been such a good boy! I'm not talking to Eleanor to get rid of you, I have a trip in a few weeks and I wanted to make sure that you could come with me." Liam cradles Niall against his chest as he rocks the boy back and forth. He steps inside and let's Zayn close the door for him.

"Eleanor," Liam begins, bringing the phone back to his ear, "can I give you a call back?"

"Sure, in the mean time I'll take a look into seeing what it takes to get a passport for him rolling." She hangs up and Liam slips the phone back into his pocket.

"Okay, love, calm down. It's okay, you're staying with me. Shhh, let's sit back down and finish breakie, eh?" Liam carries the still pants-less boy back to the kitchen table and notice Niall's plate licked clean.

"Want to sit with me while I finish love?" Liam rubs Niall's as he waits for a response. The small boy nods and easily slips into the older one's lap.

Liam eats with one arm wrapped around Niall's waist and Niall's bare legs sideways over both his own. Zayn and Liam make quiet conversation, plans for the day. Niall snuggles his head under Liam's chin, propped against the older man's chest.

A piece of egg drops off Liam's fork and lands on Niall's right leg. Liam begins to apologize when Niall quietly picks it up and brings it to his own mouth, licking his fingers after.

"Are you still hungry, Ni?" Liam picks up another bite of eggs with his own fork and offers it to the still quiet boy. Niall nods and raises his head to look at Liam. He glances back down at the fork before opening his mouth.

Liam feeds the boy without hesitation off his own plate, alternating bites between himself and Niall. When the plate is empty, Liam reaches forward and grabs a slice of toast off a plate stacked with already buttered toast. He passes it to Niall to nibble on.

He leans back in his chair and wraps his other arm around Niall, connecting his two hands, circling the boy with a hug.

When Niall finishes the toast, Zayn is there, holding out a bottle. Niall looks at the two men and takes the bottle, gnawing at the nipple for a moment before taking it into his mouth.

Niall suckles at the warmed milk, eyes drifting closed as he listens to the soft rumbling of Liam and Zayn speaking to one another.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies in it taking three months! Wow. Life caught up to me. (I got married a week ago!) and just hadn't had time before the wedding to put some serious time into the story. Hopefully the 7200+ words in this chapter will make up for it! :)

Ch 9

A loud crash washes through the crack under front door, causing Eleanor to squint a bit and lean her ear closer. She knocks again and is lowering her arm when the door swings open. A messy, but smiling, Niall appears before her.

He lunges at her. "Ellanoh! Hi! Dis mine Ey-yum house. I paintin." Niall preens under the sweet smile Eleanor gives him, taking in the bright blue and red paint sticking to his flushed cheeks and hair.

"I see that, love, how have you been? Doing well with Liam?" Eleanor asks, still standing in the doorway, peering around the boy to look at the state of the flat.

Before the boy can answer, Liam comes tumbling out of the hallway and into the entryway, falling to his knees as he takes Niall by the shoulders. "Niall, what have we talked about? We don't answer the front door by ourselves, it's not safe, it could be a stranger!"

Liam brushes Niall's paint covered fringe off his forehead and pulls him into a hug, only then realizing who is standing at the door. "No tanger. Is mine Ellanoh!"

"Oh my goodness, it's not already eleven! Tell me you are super early!" He glances at his watch before grimacing as he takes in the catastrophic mess that is his home. He gives a tight smile at the calculating woman before him and steps aside, letting her in.

"I lost track of time, I'm sorry about the mess, it's not usually like this, I'm a very neat person, organized and never lose track of time like this..." He rambles on, blushing. "It's been an adjustment with Niall here. He's a little ball of energy, and I've just been trying to catch up on laundry and-Niall! No! We don't paint on the table, we paint on paper!"

Liam rushes off to the side, leaving Eleanor unattended to. She steps inside, closing the door behind her and pulling off her shall. She folds it and places it over the edge of the living room couch, gently leaning her briefcase against the side of the couch.

"Niall, paint is not good for our bellies either. Sorry, babe, but I'm not budging on this one. I think we're going to take a break from painting, love. Eleanor's here and we need to go talk with her. Nothing bad, you're going to stay with me, Ni, don't be worried." Eleanor overhears Liam from the kitchen. She smiles at the two when Liam carries the boy into the hallway where she is standing.

Liam shifts the boy in his arms and asks, "Can I get you anything to drink? Or eat?" When she declines, he apologizes, "I'm just going to get him cleaned up a bit and then we can chat, have a seat, make yourself comfortable."

Liam bounces Niall in his arms as he carries him down the hall.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

"Baby, no, no bath right now. Hang on." Liam stops Niall as the boy waddles to get his small basket of bath toys from under the sink.

"No baff? What do to get sweeky sweeky keen?" Niall asks, confusion blooming over his innocent face.

Liam picks him up and places him on the counter, pulling on the boy's now paint covered shirt. Keeping a hand on Niall, he reaches below the sink for a rag, running it under warm water before he begins to scrub at the kaleidoscope of colors on his skin.

He finishes a few minutes later, Niall's skin now a rosy clean pink. Liam wrangles Niall into a long sleeved tee but struggles to get the boy into clean jeans. "Hun, Eleanor is waiting, she made a special trip to see you, get your pants on and- Niall!"

Liam races down the hall, Niall's jeans still in his hands. When he reaches the boy, he's jumping about asking for sweets.

"I do, Niall, but first you'd better ask Liam if you can have some." Eleanor is smiling at Niall as she pats his damp hair. Niall rolls his head back, shoulders dropping as he turns to Liam a pout full and bubbling on his lips.

"Ey-yum! Ni wan!" He points to the small red bag in Eleanor's hands. He whines and turns, trying to grab the treat.

"First trousers, then use your words." Liam reprimands, raising his eyebrows expectantly.

Niall stomps his feet a few times, rubbing at his eyes. He reaches for the bag again only for it to be pulled out of his reach by Eleanor.

"Ni want Maldeezies peas!" He finally says, looking at Eleanor with large round puppy dog eyes. Eleanor meets Liam's eyes, waits for his nod before handing over the treat.

Niall takes the bag and pulls at it, frustration creeping into his actions as he thrusts it at Liam, tears threatening to fall over his rosy cheeks.

"Niall, you look extremely tired, maybe we should save the Maltesers for after your nap..." Liam begins, fading off as Niall melts to the floor, the chocolate sweets landing on the carpet next to him.

"Noooooooooooo!" Niall cries, laying on the floor and kicking his feet out, his socked feet making dull thumps against the carpeting. His legs are still bare, diaper crinkling and on full display.

Liam flushes, having wanted to avoid a meltdown, especially in front of Niall's social worker. "Shhh, baby," he leans down, picking up the red bag and moving to lift Niall into his arms.

The boy goes easily, snuggling into Liam's chest and neck. Liam rubs the boy's back, moving to sit on the couch behind him. Liam isn't looking where he sits and ends up raising one thigh to pull out the Curious George stuffed animal that Niall has grown so quickly attached to.

He lets the monkey climb up Niall's back and "kiss" the boy's nose. Niall takes the lovie and pushes it into his face, slowly taking one of the monkey's paws to chew on. "Hey, don't do that to George! I'm not sure he'd like that."

Eleanor is watching with a small smile on her mouth. She takes a seat on the opposing love seat and takes out a notebook and pen. Liam talks obliviously to Niall in a soft voice as he calms down the boy.

When he looks back up to Eleanor he blushes and turns Niall in his lap, and holds out the bag of chocolate malt balls. Niall nods and sniffles, whispering a "Peas."

Liam opens it and holds out the bag for Niall. The boy reaches in and takes two candies, placing them both in his mouth. He sucks and chews on them, eyes flickering up to the familiar woman sitting across from them.

"Well, I think the right decision was made about him being put into your care. Just in the ten minutes I've been here, you have provided a lot of intel on how your relationship has grown. Do you mind if I ask a few questions, to get to know you a bit better and to hear how Niall is getting on?" Eleanor asks, brown eyes taking in he heated flush of Liam's cheeks at the compliments.

He nods and clears his throat, ready for whatever Eleanor has to throw at him.

"Great. Now, typically there are classes and hours of required time meeting with different therapists and social workers so you can learn strategies on how to care for children, how to manage tantrums and acceptable discipline." Eleanor reaches and pulls out a packet of information, holding it out for Liam to take.

Niall reaches into the candy bag and pulls out another chocolate. He keeps a hold of this one as he sucks on it, his fingers quickly becoming brown and sticky. A little dribbles out of his mouth and onto Liam's hand that is wrapped around his waist.

Before Liam can wipe it away, Niall bends over, sliding his bottom backwards and off of Liam's lap, and places his mouth on Liam's hand, effectively removing the chocolate drool as the boy sucks on the skin there.

Liam makes a face at Niall's actions before wiping his now even more wet hand on his shorts. Liam reaches out and takes the packet of info Eleanor is still holding out and places it by his side.

"Alright, I'll read this today when Niall is napping." Liam waits for her to continue, picking up the boy's pants and sliding his long legs into them as Niall gnawed on another Malteser.

He helps Niall stand up and buttons the boy's pants, letting him crawl back into his lap. Niall rests his head against Liam's shoulder, sighing contently as he listens to Eleanor and Liam talk.

"Wonderful. Okay so, Liam, I want to go over some things about Niall that I think will help you." Eleanor waits till Liam nods, then continues. "So, he loves to eat, and he's not allergic to anything really, he gets awful bellyaches when he eats too much ice cream, though. He is not able to burp, which can cause some discomfort to him as he has an increased amount of... activity coming from the other end as a result. And he gets lots of air in him when he eats because he's trying to eat too fast and he swallows a lot of air, isn't that right, Ni? I'm always trying to get you to slow down!"

Niall looks up at the mention of his name, eyes full of worry as he looks at Liam. "S'okay, kiddo. We'll work on that. I had a poor kidney when I was younger, I had to take it slow on lots of things." Liam presses a kiss to Niall's forehead.

Niall pulls George in tighter to his chest and snuggles a little deeper into Liam. He sighs happily when Liam's hands begin rubbing small circles on his back.

Eleanor continues, fixing a piece of her hair that has fallen from behind her ear. "So since this is a new environment for Niall, I'll be doing what we call 'wellness checks' twice a month. They're done on a biweekly basis, and I'll let you know when the next one is scheduled at each meeting. If you can't make it, or if it conflicts with plans already made, just let me know and we can work something out."

Liam nods, biting his bottom lip. "Um, what will happen when we're in America?"

"When is that trip again?" She pulls out a calendar and begins flipping pages.

"A couple weeks, we have our flight on um.. Hang on. I had to make it the day earlier because they didn't have two seats together on the flight I was on originally. Let me check my email for the flight info real quick." Liam tilts his body to the side, causing Niall to grab Liam's shoulder.

"Not going anywhere, love. Just need my phone." Liam explains as he reaches into his pocket and unlocks his phone.

After scrolling through it for a few moments, he gives Eleanor the dates. "So we fly out on the thirtieth of October and fly home on November second."

Niall twists in Liam's lap and whines a little. Liam rubs the boy's back and looks down at him. "What's up, Ni?"

"Weed." Niall whispers, glancing at Eleanor.

The older man smiles and nods at the younger one. "Go ahead. I think I saw the animal one in the hallway."

Niall nods and wiggles down, setting his feet on the carpet. He quickly runs down out of sight for only a moment before reappearing, book in hand.

He sat himself on the carpet, just beyond the edge of the couch. He opened his book and peered up at Liam. They made eye contact and Liam sent a comforting smile. Niall returned it and turned the page, mumbling to himself.

Liam and Eleanor continue chatting, going over various "what if" scenarios. "I really want to be on your side, Liam, I can tell you truly care for Niall and want what is best for him above all else."

Liam blushes and looks down at his clasped hands. "What would happen if-" she begins, stopping suddenly as her ears pick up what Niall is saying.

"Fox! Pffffffff!" Niall exclaims, blowing a raspberry at the red furry creature on the page of his book.

Eleanor looks at Liam with raised eyebrows, a questioning look escaping her before she hears, "Fox no hab Ey-yum! Toopid fox. Ni hav Ey-yum!" Niall blows another raspberry.

Liam chides Niall, "Ni, we don't say 'stupid', it's not a nice word."

Eleanor still looks confused, so Liam explains, "Last week he got all mad at the picture of the fox because he thought it was a dog and I explained that dogs are related to foxes and then he was upset he had no family, but the fox had a family and I don't know. Somehow we got to Niall having me, but the fox didn't have me and that was better than having a family. I know it really doesn't make sense," he continues to ramble, "but it's all that would make him calm down."

Eleanor chuckles, looking at the back of Niall's head fondly. "That sounds like Niall's thinking."

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

An hour later and Niall is beginning to get cranky.

"Okay, Ni, how about you show Eleanor the picture of what is going to be in your room very soon?" It's a sneaky way to get Niall to act more polite in front of Eleanor, but honestly the boy is about two minutes away from crying his eyes out from being so tired. The past week, nearly every day, Niall has crashed at about this hour for a solid two hour nap.

Liam's begun to depend on it for his own sanity. Also, maybe a little bit to do some actual work-work.

"Oh! Ellanoh! See mine George!" Niall mumbles, not making much sense.

Niall scrambles off the couch, running down the hallway to Liam's room. Moments later he is back, lugging Liam's laptop.

"Careful, Ni! We talked about this. You have to use two hands and walk when carrying my laptop. Set it down gently, now." Liam scolds, helping Niall open the top so the screen is facing the right direction.

Niall bangs on the keys to make the lockscreen appear. "Niall!" Niall looks up sheepishly at the sound of his name.

"Sowwy. Halp peas, Da-... Ey-yum." Niall blushes and won't look Liam in the eye after he speaks. Liam looks curiously at the boy. Niall's red cheeks flush darker when the boy peeks up and sees Liam still watching him.

Liam leaves the odd twist of his name alone, and unlocks the computer, helping Niall navigate to his emails. Opening up one from Amazon.com.

Niall's embarrassment was soon forgotten and he was bouncing in his seat. "Yook! Ellanoh, yook! Is George! Ey-yum buy mine George pillyoh and bankie and ticker for mine wall!" Niall's face gets serious and he sticks his pointer finger out as he says his next sentence, "No udder ticker on wall foh. Is no-no. Righ, Ey-yum?"

Liam smiles and nods, placating Niall easily.

The moment is lost when Niall asks, "Ey-yum, where mine George wug?"

Liam swallows, eyes flickering to the woman standing next to them. "Well, Ni, remember I told you that you had to pick between the wall decals and the rug? I couldn't afford both?"

Blue eyes are suddenly wet and a frown is being set upon the little boys lips. Liam sees the laptop falling before it actually happens and miraculously catches it midair.

Liam groans as Niall melts to the floor and begins to cry, fists beating against the carpet. Eleanor's eyes are on Liam.

Liam gives Niall a moment before squatting down to the floor, trying to get Niall's hands before he accidentally does any damage.

"Love, I explained this. And we talked about it and you were okay with getting the decals. Aren't you excited to put them on the walls when they arrive in the post?" Liam sees a break in Niall's cries and tries to lift him in the air.

Niall puts up a fight and arches his back so that Liam can't grab him without falling over. "Noooo! No touch! Bad! Bad Ey-yum!"

Liam frowns and lets his eyes drop, feeling embarrassed at not being able to buy everything Niall wants. He timidly meets Eleanor's face and quirks an eyebrow when he sees her smiling. She motions for him to stand and step away for a minute.

"Liam," she begins, "What you did just now was fantastic. Honestly, I'm so happy that you didn't apologize and say it was your fault, or that you would buy it for him now, or something along those lines."

Liam gives a half hearted smile before looking over at Niall still throwing a tantrum. He's now on his back as his feet hit the floor in a fast paced beat.

"Doesn't feel so fantastic." Liam rubs at the back of his neck.

"Niall needs someone who can help him grow, someone to teach him right from wrong and that getting his way all the time is not how life works. He doesn't need to be spoiled, he needs to be loved and cared for." Eleanor raises a hand to pat the older man's shoulder.

"You didn't give in, he had his fit, and now he's done. Look." Eleanor finishes, pointing to the now still boy on the floor. Niall has fallen asleep amid his screaming and is now sucking on his thumb as he cradles his head.

"I knew nap time would be coming soon. Um, let me just tuck him into his bed." Liam smiles at the sleeping boy as he lifts him into his arms effortlessly. He walks softly to the boy's bedroom and gently places his head on his pillow.

Niall fusses for a moment before finding his thumb again and soothes himself back into slumberland.

Liam bites his lip as he searches around for a dummy, whispering out a soft "Yessss!" when he stumbles across one on the boy's nightstand.

Liam leans down and presses the rubber nipple into the blonde's now empty mouth, the boy's wet hand clenched in his own.

He quickly latches on and whimpers for a moment. Liam presses a kiss to his forehead and pulls the covers up to his chin, making sure that the extra pillows are surrounding Niall's sleeping frame.

Liam takes a deep breath and leaves the boy. He runs into Eleanor peeking in on them in the hallway. "Hi, hope you don't mind me following. Just wanted to observe you in action." She quickly explains, stepping back and staying behind him just a step until they reach the living room.

Liam brushes it off, "No, of course, it's totally fine. I've nothing to hide."

Eleanor takes a seat again and pulls out a small red booklet. "This is his passport. We had a recent photo on file of him so that was used."

Liam takes it with both hands, looking at the gold foil harp on the cover. He opens it after a nod from Eleanor and smiles when he sees a crooked smile in black and white.

He reads over the details, 'Last Name- Horan, First Name- Niall James, Nationality- Irish, Place of Birth- Mullingar, Ireland,Sex- Male, Date of Birth-September 13, 2000. Date of Issue- September 7, 2016, Date of Expiry- September 7, 2026.'

Liam frowns. "His middle names is James. I've been with him for a week around the clock and I still barely know him."

Eleanor clucked sympathetically, "Oh, don't beat yourself up over it. He's loving living with you. Besides, I'm not even sure Niall is aware of what his middle name is."

Liam chuckled and closed the passport, "I suppose I have a bit more to learn."

Eleanor smiled and nodded, pulling out another packet of official looking papers.

"Now, this is what I had mentioned before that you need to keep with you at all times. I'm going to have you sign and date it and then I'll do the same. All this means you have permission from us to bring Niall outside of the country, and that you have sole legal and physical custody of him. Basically, you are his parent as if he were biological." Eleanor holds out a pen for him to sign on the dotted line.

Liam hesitates. He knows that Eleanor trusts him, and Niall trusts him, but this is just so huge. "What if... what if something happens to him, while we're there? Like... What if I mess up? Make the wrong choice?"

Eleanor gives an understanding frown. She reaches out and pats Liam on the shoulder. "I get it. It's a big responsibility. It's very scary to be in charge of another life. If you're worried about making the wrong choice in an emergency situation, just think of it this way. So long as you make a choice that you believe is the correct one, and you keep Niall's best interest in mind, then you won't have an issue. Things happen, kids get hurt, they get sick, they just do, without any sort of warning. You'll do fine."

Liam swallows and nods, and signs his name. He dates it and passes it back to Eleanor. She signs it as well and places an official looking stamp on it. Pulling out her phone she photographs it before handing it back to Liam.

"Remember, keep his passport on you, but more importantly keep those papers on you at all times. I suggest making a photocopy when you can and keeping it in a safe spot in your luggage just in case." Eleanor explains.

Liam nods again and takes it, standing up to place the items with the pile of things on the desk in his bedroom. He explains as such and excuses himself.

On his way back down the hall he finds himself pausing and listening outside Niall's bedroom door, double checking to make sure the boy is still fast asleep.

When he gets back Eleanor has a funny frown on her face. "Is something the matter?" He asks.

"Well, on very rare occasions Niall will be 'Big Niall'. It doesn't happen often, he prefers being little. When it does though, he has a hard time adjusting. Sometimes he'll get confused easily, doesn't understand why he has accidents or spill his food." Eleanor pauses, her hands wringing against each other. Liam can tell she's worried about this.

"He gets angry when he finds himself crying over the littlest things and he has trouble reading too, all the stress has caused him to forget some basic things. If it happens, you can give me a call, I can try to help out but really the only thing is to make him feel safe, which is difficult because he just doesn't want to have anything to do with anything juvenile in his eyes." Her last sentence is quite a large one, if her being out of breath is any indication.

Liam takes a deep breath, processing all that she has just explained to him. "So, basically what you're saying, Eleanor, is that the thing that will help him, is what he's fighting against?"

Eleanor wipes a hand down the side of her face. "Yes, precisely. So it's important that you get all that so that it doesn't make it worse for him."

Liam looks around for a moment, thinking. "So, more than when he became big at the station?"

"Think of a toddler tantrum and teenager attitude all in one. I've only seen it once and it was awful, but his parents... His old family, the Horans, they said it would happen once a month or so. They swore it had to do with the moon phases, but I'm not sure about that." Eleanor says.

Liam slaps both knees at once, giving Eleanor a firm and positive nod. "Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. No sense in worrying about something that hasn't happened yet."

"Wonderful outlook." Eleanor says as she begins to packs up her things.

"So I will see you both on November 4th, same time work? Give you a day or so to get settled back in after your trip. It won't be as long next time. Just a short meeting, 45 minutes, an hour tops." Eleanor stands and tosses her shawl over her shoulder. She holds out her hand to shake it.

"Sure," Liam scrambles to his feet, a final few butterflies flying about within him, knowing that everything went rather smoothly. "That works. Should be plenty of time to get us settled."

"I do hope next time I can see a home living situation that more so reflects what you were speaking of being typical?" Eleanor raises an eyebrow, smile tight and strained, trying not to give away the laugh once seeing Liam's expression.

"Of course! Yes, definitely, you'll be able to eat off the carpet next time! I mean, I won't be serving anything on a carpet, especially not for Niall... Um, which reminds me real quick, did you have any suggestions on where to get furniture and things that well, fit Niall? Everything I saw was made for actual babies and I'm not sure..." Liam blushes, hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck.

"No, you won't find anything at a typical store. Try googling adult babies and see what comes up. It's a bit strange to see but, he'll be much more comfortable in something that fits him." Eleanor bids him farewell and leaves the flat.

Liam lets his shoulders sag and he leans against his front door. His phone buzzes as he gathers himself to get a little work done.

*Howd visit go with E?*

It's Zayn, checking in on him. He smiles to himself as he walks over to the couch, plopping down on it. He chuckles as he types out his response, pulling George out from underneath him.

*alls well. Got ni's passport set. Kiddos nappin now.*

He places his phone down on the table and pulls his laptop onto his lap, reclining as he does so. Liam logs on and brings up a new Google page. He types in what Eleanor suggested and hits 'search'.

He happens upon loads of websites proving background knowledge, fictional stories with real famous people as the characters and a few recommended online stores that sell the necessary items.

"What?! 983 pounds?! How the... I can't...oh fuck." He sits up, panic thumbing through his veins. He picks up the phone and hits a couple buttons.

His cell rings three times before a calm voice picks up on the other end.

"Hey, Li, vas happenin'?"

"Zee, I can't, I... I can't... I... Oh my lord, Zee, I can't do this... I need..." Liam begins to breathe harder and faster, not making any sense to the man on the line.

"Okay, okay, Liam, deep breath. Take a deep breath and slow down. What happened? Is... Is Niall alright?" Zayn calmly asks, making sure to not get Liam going into a tizzy.

Liam swallows and tries to take a couple deep breaths. "Ni's fine. He's, he's sleeping."

"Okay, that's good. So what is the problem then exactly?" Zayn questions, talking to someone in the background for a short moment.

"Well, I can't... I went online to see how much this stuff for Niall would cost, right? Cause you like got to buy special stuff cause normal baby things won't fit them, physically. But like... the crib alone costs nearly a thousand pounds! I just... I'm freaking out." Liam rushes out, stumbling over his words and closes his eyes, wiping a hand over his damp face.

"Okay. Okay, so how much do you really need? And I'm sure I can talk to his person and like, I don't know, maybe get some financial assistance?" Zayn tries placating Liam.

"But," Liam groans, "I feel completely inadequate and as if I can't handle him, like, I should be able to buy him the things he needs...I'm not poor or anything!"

A door closes on Zayn's end and he speaks a little softer now. "Li, you weren't expecting to have to take care of him and provide him with all these things! If you had I'm sure things would have been a little more planned."

Liam lays down, an arm thrown across his forehead as he quietly agrees with Zayn. "But, like, what if they take him because I can't give him what he needs?"

Zayn enters the noise of the police station again. "Honestly you can't even begin to think that."

"Why not? It's possible." Liam argues.

Zayn clicks his tongue, "Liam, he loves you, and I can tell that so I'm sure Nora or whatever her name is can tell."

Liam laughs, "Eleanor," he corrects.

"Well whatever her name is, she'd be a right loon of she couldn't see that."

Liam laughs louder, covering his mouth, fearing waking Niall up prematurely.

"I miss your laughter." Zayn whispers.

Liam chuckles and mumbles out a "Miss yours too."

Zayn must get into his car, music suddenly blasting through Liam's phone speaker, making him pull it away, hearing a faint "Bloody hell!" being shouted in the background.

"You headed home now?" Liam asks, trying not to sound too hopeful.

"Well, I have to stop at the grocery shop, but yea, that was the plan." Zayn explains.

"Oh, okay. Um, well I'll let you go then." Liam awkwardly says.

"Oh. Um. Alright then. Let me know if you have any more freak outs." Zayn's words make Liam blush.

"Oh shut up, would you?"

Zayn laughs as he hangs up. Liam stares at his screen for a moment before letting the device fall into his lap.

He closes his eyes for just a moment.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

"Ey-yum!" A finger pokes Liam's nose.

"You gots boogies."

Liam smiles and grabs for the boy he knows is standing next to him, keeping his eyes closed the entire time.

A squeal emits from the younger boy's lips as he falls gently onto the couch, snuggling up in between the back of the couch and Liam's right arm.

"Sleep well, Ni?" Liam rasps.

He feels the boy nod, snuggling deeper into the crook of Liam's arm. The two are quiet for a bit. Liam bends his arm, moving Niall's head to move onto his chest more so he can run his hand over the boy's head.

"Ey-yum?"

"Yes, love?"

"Woveyew."

Liam smiles, wrapping both arms tightly around the younger one.

"I love you too, Niall. So very much."

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

The two must doze, because some time later they groggily awake to a banging on the front door.

Niall watches as Liam stands and stumbles to the door, stretching his back with his arms high above his head.

"One bloody moment!" He shouts as another round of knocking begins.

Niall crawls to the end of the couch closer to the door, watching with blue round eyes to see who is there.

"Why don't you use your key, you oaf?" Liam said a little harshly. He pulls open the door more and steps to the side, allowing Niall to see the familiar dark haired man.

"Zay!" The boy exclaimed, a smile quickly appearing. He raised his hands out to the older man and bounced on the couch.

"Hey there, Little man! Did you just wake up from a nap?" Zayn greets the younger boy, peering down at the small red creases on Niall's cheek. He looks to his left to see Liam pulling at the wrinkles on his shirt.

"Aw, were you two snuggling? And I missed out?" Zayn teases, laughing hard as Liam denies it, "No...", at the same time that Niall replies a proud, "Yes!"

When he finishes laughing he give Niall a hug and turns, facing Liam as the boy continues to cling on him. "I would have used my key but you took it back."

Liam blushes and looks down at his feet. "Oh," he whispers meekly, "guess I did. Could probably give it back to you now. Might come in handy."

Zayn lowers Niall so his feet touch the floor. "That would be nice. Really nice."

Niall huffs and whines, "Nooooo! Uppie, Zay!"

"Well, you know, now with Niall, if something were to happen, I'd want someone to be able to get in. You're the best candidate. Harry and Louis would just sneak in to eat all my food." Liam tries to make excuses.

"Right, yeah. Absolutely." Zayn sighs and picks Niall back up. He rubs the younger one's back as Niall snuggles into Zayn's chest, tucking his arms in between the two's chests.

"Um, I think he needs a change." Zayn hands Niall over to Liam, nodding at the boy's full diaper.

Niall blushes as he's passed over, hiding his face in Liam's neck. "Ah, that's nothing to be shy about, Ni. It's just a bit of wee." Liam tries to comfort Niall.

Liam chuckles when he hears a small groan from the boy. "Alright, um, Zayn, make yourself at home. We'll be right back."

Niall stays quiet as Liam lays out the things needed. He sits on the floor of the bathroom watching as Liam digs around beneath the sink for the package of nappies he knows he stored there.

A whimper makes him freeze, and he turns to see Niall making a pained face. "You alright, babe?"

A few tears slip out onto Niall's rosy cheeks. He brings a hand up to hold his stomach. "Ouchie." He whispered.

"Aw, babe, again? Okay um, uh... What did Zayn do before?" Liam asks, pulling the hurting boy into his own lap.

Niall shook his head and tucked it beneath Liam's chin. "Alright, love. Deep breaths. It's okay, you're okay. You can do this."

Niall begins to take deep breaths, but is going too fast. Soon he is hyperventilating and Liam is becoming a little nervous. He tries to repeat his previous words, saying them over and over again. After a few minutes Niall is crying harder and is turning a waxy white color.

"Zayn! Zayn, come quick! I need your help!" Liam shouts, pulling Niall a little closer to him as he tries to rock the boy.

"What's wrong?" Zayn asks before he turns he corner into the bathroom. When he sees the two boys huddled on the ground he quickly joins them, his knees cracking on the tile.

"Liam, what's going on?" Zayn asked, rising on his knees to get a better look at Niall's face.

"I think he's got to... you know, go." Liam explained, wiping at Niall's forehead and pulling him in to give his cheek a kiss. "It's okay, love, it's alright." He whispered into the boy's ear.

"What did you do last time to help him?" Liam questioned, rubbing up and down the boy's back.

"What? You mean he hasn't gone since I was with him last week? Liam, that's really bad! He could be like, all blocked up!" Zayn moved his hands to show what Niall's insides could look like all blocked up.

"No! I mean, he's gone a couple times since then, but he usually does it while I'm working and don't notice that he's gone off to hide and use his nappy." Liam explains.

Niall makes a terribly pathetic mewl of a cry, drawing both of the older boys' attention to him.

"Okay, get him up on his knees. Yea like that. And last time I rubbed his belly and it helped ease the pain for him. He kind of just did the rest on his own, he leaned over when he actually went and just needed lots of encouragement." Zayn wipes at Niall's face as Liam rubs small circles on the boy's lower belly.

"Owwww..." Niall moans.

"It's alright, Ni, you can do it. That's it, just push it out and we'll make sure to clean up well after. It won't hurt soon, love. That's it, good job love!" Liam quietly gives the crying boy motivational words. He presses kisses to the back of his head as Niall leans forwards, pressing his face into Liam's lap.

When Niall finishes, Zayn gives Niall a small quick peck on the back of his head and stands, giving Niall some privacy as Liam gets ready to change him.

Niall won't make eye contact with Liam as the older man helps lay his body back down. His cheeks burn bright red and he bites worryingly at his bottom lip.

"Hey, sweetheart, lift your bottom up, would you?" Liam asked, pulling on the boy's pants.

Liam quickly wiped at Niall's bum, looked for redness before skipping the rash cream and pulled a new nappy out of the bag. He opened it and smiled at Niall when he didn't have to ask the boy to raise his hips.

Niall returned a shy smile at Liam before lifting his hips once more so the older man could get his pants up easily. When Liam had finished Niall sat up and crawled a few steps to where Liam was kneeling, cleaning up from the nappy change.

Niall pulled at Liam's arm, causing the older man to stop what he was doing. "What's up, love bug?"

Niall gave a small pout and pushed Liam's left arm a little more. He crawled onto Liam's lap and snuggled up with his nose under Liam's chin and his forehead pressed against the older man's neck.

He took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around Liam's chest. Warm large hands came up to rub against the boy's back. Liam gave a couple of kisses to the top of his head and left his lips there, just breathing in Niall's scent.

"You okay, baby?" Liam asked a few minutes after Niall had forced his way into the older man's lap.

Niall nods and murmurs something unintelligible.

Liam pulls back a bit so he can see Niall's face. "What? I couldn't understand you, Ni."

Niall clears his throat and repeats himself. "I needed a cuddle."

Liam melts a little bit and he has to cough as a soft coo leaves his lips. He squeezes Niall in a hug and pats him on the back. "Ready to go find Zayn? Maybe get some dinner? You hungry?"

Niall stays quiet but nods. He doesn't make a move to get off of Liam. Liam makes to stand up, thinking that Niall will just slide to the floor and then follow him. Niall whines and reaches for Liam as the older man cleans up the floor.

"Babe, come on, stand up. Let's go get Zayn." Liam waves at the boy still on the floor, trying to get him to follow on his own.

Niall sniffles, eyes quickly becoming wet and bluer. He raises his arms out to Liam and rawly whispers "Peas, uppie?"

All of Liam's resolve goes flying out the window when he sees Niall do that.

"Yeah, alright. I could use a snuggle before dinner too." Liam smiles as he lifts the boy easily into his arms.

Niall rests his head on Liam's shoulders.

Liam carries the smaller boy down the hall and smiles at Zayn when they reach him.

"Someone's feeling a little snuggly." Liam gently teases, rubbing Niall's back as he speaks to Zayn.

Zayn reciprocates the smile and reaches out to rub Niall's hair. "Did you guys eat dinner yet? Want me to make something for you guys while you two have a quick snuggle?"

"Mackahwoni." Niall whispers to the two older men. "An cheezies." He adds after a moment.

"We have a couple of boxes of macaroni and cheese in the panty Zayn, you sure you don't mind?" Liam asks, shifting Niall in his arms.

"You got it little man. I'll let you know when it's ready." Zayn answers Niall as he smiles at Liam, causing the slightly younger man to blush.

Zayn's smile widens when he sees the reaction he gets from Liam. He shuffles into the kitchen, a small smile not leaving his own face the entire time the pasta takes to be ready.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Dinner is a quiet affair.

Niall won't leave Liam's lap, instead requesting silently to stay with him with wet puppy dog eyes when the older man attempts to put him in his own seat.

Liam struggles to feed the two of them at the same time, finally giving up and simply spooning small bites of cheesy noodles into the boy's mouth.

"Come on, love, you have two more bites. Just a bit more. Open wide!" Liam begs, opening his own mouth for Niall to mimic.

A small chuckle escapes Zayn as he watches the two interact. Niall leans forward and opens his mouth, waiting for the mouthful. Liam noticed Zayn smiling at the two of them and blushes, forgetting to put the spoonful of macaroni into the boy's waiting mouth.

Niall huffs impatiently and whines, mouth still open and wide, looking far more like a baby bird than a sixteen year old boy.

When Niall is drowsy and sated, he rests his head against the corners where Liam's neck and chest meet. Liam struggles to feed himself, trying to move the full boy as little as possible.

Zayn placed his fork down against his plate, wiping his mouth with his napkin. "Niall? Why don't you come sit with me while Liam finishes eating?"

Niall grumbles, shaking his head in disagreement. Liam chuckles and rubs the boy's back. The older man reached out for his fork, attempting to stab some noodles. Niall cries out, whacking Liam's hand, causing him to drop his utensil.

"Baby, go see Zayn, okay?" Liam shifts Niall, sitting him more up onto his lap.

"Nooooooowah. No wanna! Seepy." Niall rubs at his eyes.

Zayn stands up and takes Niall out of Liam's lap. The smaller boy kicks and whines. The darker haired man turns and rubs the boy's back. "Shhhh, it's alright, Niall. How about I make you some warm milk? You'll like it, my mum used to make it for me when I was little."

Niall wipes his nose along the collar of Zayn's shirt. "Wan da! Wan da!"

Zayn turns, meeting Liam's eyes as the boy in his arms twists to reach out to the seated man. Liam stands, speechless as he steps closer to Niall.

Without taking the boy, he tries to smooth him. "Hey, hey, Ni, calm down love. Stop for a moment, okay?! Stop it!"

Niall retracts when Liam raises his voice, desperation and overwhelmingness drenching his words.

The boy's mouth wiggles, sadness creeping onto his face. "Li..." Zayn frowns.

Liam closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Ni, I'm tired and hungry. Why don't you go sit with Zayn in the living room, drink the milk and I'll come in when I'm done with my dinner."

Niall sniffles, nodding and turning into Zayn's neck. Zayn swallows, giving Liam a meaningful look before turning and rubbing Niall's back. He warms a bottle of milk, heating it in the microwave and placing the cap on, all with one hand. He twists the cap on and shakes the bottle. The lukewarm liquid sloshes around and beads out of the top.

"Come on, Ni, let's go sit on the couch." Zayn whispers, kissing the top of Niall's head.

Liam places his fork down, groaning and rubbing the back of his head as Zayn walks out of the room.

He whispers to himself, "I just keep fucking up."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

It had taken Niall a full ten minutes after finishing his bottle to talk to Liam again.

Liam had lost his appetite, throwing away his food and quietly sitting next to Zayn and Niall on the couch. Brown eyes watched Zayn's fingers carding through the boy's hair, blue eyes fluttering with every stroke.

"Niall? Can I hold you?" Liam asked after a few moments of silence. Niall used a closed fist to wipe at his nose before nodding and crawling across Zayn's lap and into Liam's.

The boy tucks his head under Liam's chin, whispering, "Sowwie Da-um... Ey-yum."

Liam catches Zayn's eyes at the slight stutter and fumble of his words. "Li?" Zayn questions, whispering to the other man as Liam rubs Niall's back.

Liam shrugs in response to Zayn's question. He kisses Niall's crown and speaks softly to the boy, "Babe, you have no reason to say sorry. There's nothing you did wrong. I was grumpy, I'm the one that should be sorry."

Niall turns and cranes his head so he can see Liam's face. He's quiet as he watches Liam's features, looking for something that only he knows.

Niall nods and turns his head, laying it on his shoulder. A small yawn escapes him. Liam notices and smiles.

"I think it's going to be an early night, Niall. Let's get you in for a bath and then we'll tuck you in, okay?" Liam suggests, pulling the smaller boy into a sitting position. Niall frowns and shakes his head.

"No? What do you mean 'no'?" Liam chuckles, glancing at Zayn when he hears his laughter too.

"No baff, no nuh-ni." The boy explains, blinking at the two men as if it was a perfectly reasonable response. He tries turning back into Liam's arms, ready to snuggle a little longer. When he's met with resistance, he humphs and leans away from the older man, reaching out and seeking his needs from Zayn.

Zayn laughs as Niall crawls into his arms, easily snuggling up to the older man and sighing happily when he believes he has won. "Someone's catching on quick, Liam." Zayn grins.

"Niall! You can't just-Zayn! You have to stick to what I say! We're supposed to be on the same side!" Liam moans, reaching for Niall and trying to pull him from the other man's arms.

"Who says I have to agree with you? Niall wants to cuddle with me, I'm not going to pass up this opportunity! A bath can wait!" Zayn argues, gripping Niall a little tighter and blowing a raspberry on the boy's cheek. A ripple of laughter escapes Niall, blonde head thrown back as joy floods into the small flat.

Zayn held onto Niall's wrists as he playfully leaned back. Niall shouted, "Hi Ey-yum! Hi!" Liam smiled at the upside down boy and leans forward to plant a kiss on the middle of the boy's forehead.

"I'm going to start his bath." Liam stood and began to walk down the hallway, he stopped when he overheard Zayn speaking to Niall.

"I'm going to have to get going soon, Ni."

A small whine was all the response given to the older man, at least that Liam could hear.

"I know, I know, I'll miss you too. I'll come visit again soon."

A bout of silence before Liam heard Zayn again, "Hey, hey, no crying now. Liam's going to take good care of you. He loves you already so much! No, you are a good boy. You want what? A George rug? What George rug?"

"Zayn! Do not let him talk you into that! He knows that he got the wall decals instead of the rug, he's well aware of that!" Liam shouts as he continues on to get Niall's bath ready, shaking his head at the younger boy's antics.

He pushes the plug into the drain and turns on the water, getting the temperature right and dropping a couple of capfuls of bubble bath solution.

"Okay Niall, the bath is ready! Let's go, love!" Liam calls out down the hall. He grabs a few floating toys from Niall's basket under the sink and drops them into the water.

He turns with a smile to take Niall from Zayn when he sees the drenched cheeks and tight grip Niall has on Zayn. He quickly turns off the water, shocked that such heavy sobs are coming from the little boy.

"What happened?" He asks, rubbing the smaller one's heaving back.

Zayn frowns, unsure if he's supposed to answer or if Liam was talking to the boy crying in his arms.

Liam raised his eyebrows as he waited for Zayn to answer. "Well? What happened, Zayn?"

"Oh! Sorry, wasn't sure if you meant that for me or for him. Um, he's upset because I told him I had to get going. He doesn't want me to leave I guess..." Zayn explained, trailing off.

"You have to get going? Why?" Liam asks, trying to pull Niall's hands off of Zayn's shirt collar.

Zayn gave half a laugh in disbelief, "Because, I feel like I'm taking up a lot of your time, and you didn't really seem to miss me over the past couple years. I don't want to overwhelm you."

Liam finally got Niall to let go of the taller man's shirt. He rocked Niall in his arms as he studied Zayn.

"It's not you that's overwhelming, I mean, not you solely. It's kind of all that's happening at once and I have to remember to breathe. But, um, I quite like having you around. I was a bit, well, lonely since you left." Liam tries explaining.

Zayn bites his lip, raising one arm to scratch at the back of his neck. "I could be around more, if you want. Um, maybe...maybe we could go grab something to eat sometime."

Liam is looking down at Niall when Zayn suggests what sounds like to him a date. He turns a slight shade of red. "Um..." He hesitates, raising his eyes to meet Zayn's warm brown ones.

He has every intention of gently declining the other man's invitation.

"I think I'd like that." Is what ends up coming out though.

"Really?" Zayn cries, mouth dropping open and eyes wide.

"Yeah, um, maybe... maybe when we get back from the states. It's going to get a little hectic around here, I've got to go shopping for some clothes and probably another suitcase, all my things barely fit in my own suitcase." Liam explains.

"I have a suitcase you can use for him, if you'd like." Zayn offers, grinning to himself when Liam thanks him and agrees to take his for the time being.

Liam sets Niall down on the tile floor, and begins to pull on his clothing. Niall lets Liam take his shirt off before crawling over to Zayn and raising his arms.

"Uppie Zay!" He asks, adding on, "Peas" after getting a smirk from the older man.

He pulled the boy up and into his arms. He pulled open the button on the top of Niall's jeans and undid the zipper. He wiggled the fabric down a bit, smiling at Liam when he jumped in to help.

"Ready love? I put bubbles in for you!" Liam tried to get Niall excited for bath time, picking up a blue tugboat and holding it out for the boy.

Niall reached for it and squeezed it between his two hands. A small amount of water dripped out of it onto Zayn's shirt. Zayn ignores it and undoes the tabs on Niall's nappy, lowering the boy into the water.

Niall sat quietly in the water, gazing at all the colorful bubbles. He slowly reached out, lifting a handful of bubbles into the air, bringing it closer in his hand. Liam smiled, taking a seat on the edge of the tub, watching the boy explore the bubbles.

Liam turned his head for half a second, getting distracted by Zayn moving to kneel next to the tub. Niall had the bubbles in his mouth faster than lightening. He spluttered and thrashed about, soapy water sloshing over the edge and soaking Liam and Zayn.

"Niall! You can't eat the bubbles, baby! It's not food!" Liam chides, reaching out to try and wipe the bubbles still hanging off of Niall's tongue.

"Ucky bubba." Niall says, tongue out and drooling.

Zayn quickly stands and digs under the sink for a moment. He holds out a dry flannel for Liam, smiling at Niall. He leans against the wall watching Liam interact with Niall as Niall scoops handfuls of bubbles and buries his toys.

Liam sneaks in a scrubbing and a hair washing. Pretty soon he's giving Niall a warning that bath time is nearly over.

"Noooooooo. A yittle longah?" Niall pleads, grabbing for a passing rubber duck. He brings the bill of the duck to his mouth and gnaws on it, giggling as it quacks.

"You have three minutes, babe. You're going to turn into a fish if you stay in there much longer." Liam playfully jokes.

"Ohtay." Niall gives in, enjoying his last few minutes.

When the three minutes are up, Liam carries a fluffy towel to Niall and asks him to stand up. He's busy wrapping Niall up like a burrito and doesn't see what Zayn is reaching for.

Niall doesn't see either, but he hears the telltale glubbing of the drain and screeches, flinging himself at Liam.

"Whoa! Hey, it's alright Ni, I've got you, you're okay!" He says calmly, scooping the boy into his arms.

Zayn looks confused with one eyebrow raised. "What? What's wrong?"

Liam rocked the upset boy in his arms, pressing kisses into his wet hair. "It's alright, you didn't know."

"What? What didn't I know?" Zayn asks, reaching and hand out to try and comfort Niall as well.

"The drain, he doesn't like being in the tub when it's draining. He's terrified of it." Liam explains.

"Aw, Nialler, I'm sorry love!" Zayn wipes away a handful of tears.

Zayn frowns at the smaller boy, who is still upset and shaking, as Liam carries him out of the bathroom and down the hallway to what has now become Niall's bedroom.

Liam ignores the whines of the boy as he lays him down on the bed. He loosens the towel from around Niall's body and rubs it over his pink skin, drying the boy off quite quickly.

"Zayn, could you grab me a clean nappy and the rash cream? They're under the sink in the bathroom." Liam asks as he sits Niall up and runs the towel over the blonde's head.

"Sure. I'll be right back." Zayn turns and makes his way down the hallway.

When he returns Liam is digging through the drawers to find clean pajamas for Niall. He has a shirt under his arm as he continued to dig for bottoms.

Niall is laying naked on the bed, legs wiggling in the air as he grabbed for his toes. Zayn moves next to him and places the nappy items on the bed next to the happy boy.

Niall notices Zayn and braces his feet onto the bed, lifting his bottom up and off the bed. Zayn is confused for a moment as to why Niall is moving like that when it dawns on him where he saw the boy do this before. Every time Liam goes to change Niall, he raises his body to help Liam get the nappy on him.

"Oh! Um, yeah. I can do that for you." Zayn states, opening up the nappy and sliding it under Niall's bottom. When Zayn moves his hands away, Niall rests his bottom on the soft material.

Zayn looks over at Liam, seeing that he is rather busy, having moved from the chest of drawers to the closet, decides to finish the entire nappy change.

He opens the tub of Sudocream and dips his hands into the cold white paste. He rubs his thumb and first two fingers around, it sticks quite well to his skin.

"Lift your legs up, Niall. Got to put your cream on." Zayn's asks the boy. Niall easily complies and raises his legs, bending one to try and get his toes in his mouth. He whines when he's not able to.

"Just a moment more Niall, then I'll get you all wrapped up and cozy, love." Liam calls from inside the closet.

Zayn wipes his hand off on the towel and finishes taping the sides as Liam reemerges from the walk in closet.

"Oh! You did it. Thanks! I just have to put the Sudocream on him and get him dressed." Liam rambles, floored that Zayn did Niall's nappy. He has been the only one to do that since Zayn brought the boy to him.

"I did. I know he needs it every change. He wasn't red though." Zayn explains. He continues, "Can I do anything else to help?"

Liam smiles down at Niall and begins fighting playfully to get the boy's feet in the pajama bottoms.

"Um, would you heat up a sippy cup of milk for him?" Liam suggests, finally getting Niall's leg into one of the legs of the bottoms.

"Boddah." Niall requests, reaching out for Liam's hands but searching for Zayn with his eyes.

"What? You want a bottle instead?" Liam clarifies. When the boy nods he turns to Zayn and says, "Did you get the change in the order?"

Zayn chuckles, "Yes sir, coming right up your highness!"

Liam grins and turns back to Niall, pulling on the boy's arms to get him to sit up. "Come on, Ni, let's get you snuggled under the covers. Shirt first. It's chilly in here."

Niall complies and bounces when he sees Zayn carrying his bottle. His arms reach out to the older man and quickly take the bottle, huffing and grunting as he sucks on the nipple.

The blonde whimpers when the milk doesn't come out of the bottle the right way. He looks with wet eyes to Liam, hoping the older man will be able to fix his problem.

"Slow down, Niall, you're angling the bottle too much and it's causing you to not get anything, because you've got the nipple folded in half." Liam chides, tipping the bottle back a bit. He sweeps the boy's fringe off his forehead in slow loving motions.

Zayn sees the corner of a book peeking out from under the bed. He picks it up and holds it up for Niall to see. "Want to read this one while you're relaxing there?"

Niall nods wordlessly, warm milk sloshing about in the plastic bottle.

Zayn moves to sit on the other side of Niall, Liam leaning over the boy's head to plant a quick kiss.

Zayn begins reading, "Curious George Goes to the Zoo, by Margaret and H.A. Rey. Curious George was a good little monkey, but was always very curious..."

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Liam gently closes the bedroom door before turning and leaning against it. Zayn is across the hallway, one leg raised and propped against the wall. "He's a heavy sleeper. I don't think we have to tiptoe out anymore." Liam whispers.

Zayn stage whispers back with a smile, "Then why are you whispering if he is such a heavy sleeper?"

Liam blinks at Zayn, eyes falling to the side as he thinks about what the other man just said. "You know, I'm not quite sure. I think it's just a habit!"

"You're too funny, Li." Zayn laughs. Liam mirrors the other man and turns to walk down the hall.

"Let's go to the living room." Liam says softly, before sighing and repeating himself in a louder voice.

"So... When are you leaving on your trip?" Zayn asks, trying to get the conversation flowing.

"Um, in a couple of weeks. We fly out on the thirtieth and we fly home on the second. Hopefully everything goes smoothly. I'm a little stressed out, we have to make sure his passport comes in." Liam says, sitting down on the couch and pulling a pillow into his lap to hug.

"Okay. I'll make sure to get you that suitcase before then." Zayn says, standing next to the couch. "So... I guess I'll be going now."

"Um, will you be back tomorrow?" Liam asks, pulling the pillow in closer to him.

"Can't, I'm working a double. Couple of the lads are on vacation and I have to cover for them. Have to sleep sometime." Zayn responds with a sad smile.

Liam pouts, blinking up at the older man. "Niall will miss you."

"Really. Will anyone else miss me?" Zayn says, trying his best to hide his smile.

"Me." Liam says without missing a beat.

Liam looks away, checking the time on his wall clock. "Stay? Please?" He speaks quietly, still avoiding Zayn's eyes.

Zayn hesitates. He looks down at Liam, the way he's nervously twisting the corner of the pillow he is still grasping, and biting his lip.

"Liam, I'm not sure... I'm not sure that's a good idea tonight." Zayn declines, reaching out to touch the edge of the other man's chin when Liam's face falls.

Liam turns his head down, trying to hide the disappointment etched all over his face. "Oh, okay..." He whispers.

"Li, look at me babe." Zayn sits down again, reaching out to take ahold of Liam's hands.

Liam sniffles and clears his throat, schooling his face so that no trace of distress remains.

"I would, honestly I would. But... I think that Niall would have a hard time tomorrow. Think of how he was when I tried to leave tonight, you know? I, um... I really look forward to when I can stay overnight and not have to leave in the morning." Zayn apologized.

Liam nodded, agreeing that would be the best for Niall. He didn't want Niall getting too used to Zayn being around, it could become confusing for the boy.

Liam licked his lips and slid the pillow away from him, "Can I, um..." He began, blushing half way into his sentence. "Can I have a hug?"

Zayn grinned at the younger man as he whispered a "Sure,". Liam reached over and pulled Zayn into him, turning his head so he could tuck his nose into the other's neck, takin a deep breath.

Zayn pressed a kiss to Liam's cheek as the two held each other, far longer than what would be socially acceptable for 'just friends'. Liam clutched the back of Zayn's shirt, squeezing as tightly as he could, emotions from the deepest pit within him surfacing without his control.

A sob escaped Liam, his face burning with embarrassment. "I'm sorry," he cried, "I just really missed you."

"Hey, hey, it's alright. I missed you too, Liam." He hugs the younger man before pulling away slightly. The two men stay silent, neither daring to move. Liam reaches up and wipes away the tears that have escaped and slipped down his face.

Zayn cups his chin, wiping away one last tear that leaks out. Dark brown eyes staring into slightly lighter ones. Zayn takes a deep breath and leans in, gently pecking Liam on the lips. A short, but sweet kiss.

Zayn closes his eyes and leans in for another kiss. He stops as Liam scoots back, putting physical space between them.

"Zayn...I'm not sure how much I can handle right now. It took a long time for me to accept what happened between us was over. And with Niall now...it's going to be really confusing for him if he sees us together like this." Liam tried explaining, running a hand through his hair.

"So... so you don't want me to, what, be close to you? Did you change your mind about going out on a date?" Zayn questioned, disappointment flooding his face.

"No!" Liam quickly exclaimed. He began to ramble. "I do! I do want to still go out with you! I just... us kissing, it's confusing mostly to me... Niall, Niall is just a cover up for me, I'm... I'm scared. I'm sorry. Can we... can we just go slow? Like, Nan in a walker slow? I'm sorry, I'm babbling. You know I always got verbal diarrhea when I'm nervous. Now I'm just making more of an idiot of myself."

Zayn took a deep breath. "Absolutely. I was a little worried that you were going to decide not to give us a try again. Man! My heart stopped!"

Liam smiled shyly at Zayn. "I don't think I could ever do that. Not even if it was illegal."

Liam held his arms out. "One more hug before you go?"

Zayn smiled and embraced the other man. It wasn't as long as before, but he still pressed a quick kiss into Liam's neck.

Liam walked him to his front door and stood in the doorway, watching Zayn as he walked out to his car. He stood as the other man drove away as he waved, listening as Zayn honked before turning off the end of his street.

Liam closed the door and leaned against it. He took a deep breath and went over to his couch, picking up his phone to glance through the websites again. He jumped in the silent room as the phone came to leave be, vibrating and piano keys jingling, signaling he was getting a call.

Nervously he slid the glowing green button over, taking a deep breath and greeting the caller. "Hi Eleanor! Everything alright? Wasn't expecting to hear from you so quickly."

"Hi Liam, there's no need for alarm. Just wanted to let you know some good news before you made any big purchases. My apologies for calling at this hour." Eleanor explains, continuing on not leaving a moment for Liam to interject a word.

"So a family in our agency came to the collective decision that they would like to stop age play, their little has grown up and they feel comfortable that they won't be needing the necessary items usually associated with such things."

Eleanor finishes and waits for Liam to speak. He fumbles, not quite sure what the woman is getting at.

She sighs, "A changing table, an oversized rocker and crib. Along with a few other things that Niall may be interested in. They were donated to the agency. I nabbed them and so long as you're okay with these things, I'll have them moved to your flat."

Liam is speechless. It takes him a moment to formulate the appropriate words. "Thank you...oh my goodness, Eleanor, I can't even, that would be amazing! Thank you so much!"

Eleanor replies, "No worries. Glad I could help you two out. I'll send some photos of the items to your email? Once I get the okay from you I'll send them your way. Should be at your place in the next couple of days. The boy, the one from the family, he was about Niall's size. He's been every age out there. He's um, well he's got lots of juvenile clothing that you might be interested in as well?"

Liam thanks her again and gives her his email before saying goodnight.

The tired brunette wipes at his eyes as he stands and stretches. As he turns off lights and makes his way down the hall, he sends a quick text to Zayn, updating him on the situation with lots of smilie face emojis.

He pauses at Niall's room, pushing the door open to watch the boy for a moment. When Liam does, his heart catches in his throat. Niall is curled up on the floor, bottom in the air, with his blanket and George, dummy bobbing in between his lips.

Liam tiptoes into the room and gently lifts the boy into his arms. He lays him on the bed and pulls the covers over the still snoozing boy. Niall's on his back now, dummy moving periodically. Liam makes sure to tuck George under Niall's blankets with him. He smiles down at him and places a gentle kiss on his forehead. He fixes the blonde fringe of the sleeping boy and kisses him one more time before he leaves for his room.

As he shuts the door, he hears his phone ping, signaling a new email. He quickly opens the email and scrolls through the photos Eleanor had sent him. The first photo is of the crib, solid looking, it's dark wooden slats nearly hide the light blue and green gingham bedding. Liam smiles, already picturing Niall's bright blue eyes looking out from the crib at him.

The next photo is of the rocking chair. Liam notices a matching gliding ottoman and sees that the chair itself is far from the typical rocking chair he remembers being around when he was a child. It matches the ottoman, its legs being stationary with a glider set up instead. The cushions match the crib bedding.

So far, Liam is very pleased with that he has seen. The third photo is of a changing table with built in storage, alternating blue and green cloth lined wicker baskets fill the cubby holes.

The next photo makes Liam smile. A cherry wood stained highchair with a sleek wooden removable tray, allowing the highchair to become a four legged stool. He easily sees Niall feeling a little bigger and asking to sit at the table like a big boy.

Liam eagerly replied back to Eleanor that he'll take it all, ending the email with a large bolded 'THANK YOU!!! Definitely would appreciate all of the items!!'

He slips under his covers dreaming of Niall being a happy tot in his care.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Days passed, and October 30th was soon upon them.

Liam was a nervous wreck.

He was up two hours earlier than he needed to be, planning on getting to the airport three hours before his flight was scheduled to leave. Zayn was picking them up at 5:00 in the morning.

He double checked that their suitcases were by the front door, waiting to be loaded, and that Niall hadn't snuck in anything extra. He had caught the lad shoving DVDs and dry cereal into one of Liam's suitcases earlier in the day. Niall had gotten to bed late and he was dreading having to wake the boy.

Liam took a deep breath and checked that Niall was still sleeping before hopping into the shower. He ran through his mental schedule for the day of traveling once more.

"Zayn gets us at five, arrive at airport by 5:45. Flight leaves at 8:45, get to New York in ten and a half hours... around 1:30 in the afternoon, nearly 6:30 our time. At hotel by 3:30. He's going to be one cranky boy today."

Turning off the shower he quickly pats himself dry before loosely tying a knot around his waist and leaving the bathroom. He flicks on the lights in his room to get dressed.

"Hi Ey-yum! We go in da ayepane now?" Niall jumps from his place on Liam's bed into Liam's arms.

A tiny shriek escapes the older man as he catches the flying boy, feeling his towel slide down his hips. "Ah! Holy cra-crackers! Niall! You can't scare me like that!" He places Niall on the ground and scrambles to keep everything hidden under the towel.

"What are you doing up, babe?" Liam asks, turning and going into his closet. He pulls out a black pair of joggers and a grey hoodie zip up. Going over to his dress or he pulls out a light blue pair of boxers briefs and a white shirt. He places all the clothing on the bed next to Niall. He pulls on the tshirt first.

As he pushes his head through the correct hole, he sees Niall giggling, smiling with Liam's underwear on his own head.

"Give me that you goober!" Liam chuckles, as he reaches to grab the pants back.

"Uh oh! No mannah, Ey-yum, no say 'peas'!" Niall chided, laughing as he fell backwards onto the bed.

Liam smirked at the boy's sass. "You are absolutely right, Niall, may I please have my underpants back?"

Niall nodded and leaned his head forwards with a smile. "Tankoo. Berry pohyight."

"You're such a cheese ball Ni." Liam laughed as he slipped his underwear on under his towel. He rubbed the terry cloth fabric over his short head of hair before dropping it over Niall. The boy giggled as Liam reached for the soft joggers, pulling them up his legs.

"Babe, why're you up so early? You didn't answer." Liam asks, sliding a pair of high top black sneakers on.

"Ni cited! Go on ayepane! Dey go go go wayyyyyy up high. So cited to see'em." Niall quirks his head and paused. "An Ni berry wet."

Liam sighed and reached out to pick up Niall, placing him on his hip. He carried the younger boy into his bedroom and laid the boy down on the new changing table. Keeping a hand on the boy, he squatted down to gather the needed supplies.

He noticed Niall's crib had not been lowered. "Niall, I don't want you climbing out of your crib anymore. I know you're excited to go on the airplane, but I don't want you getting hurt, okay? No more climbing."

Niall nods, sticking two of his middle fingers in his mouth as Liam raised his legs to change him.

"Ey-yum?" Niall asked after a moment.

Liam placed the dirty wipe on top of the used diaper and lowered Niall's legs, "Yes, love?" He said as he opened the tub of rash cream.

"Why no Zay come wid us?" Niall asked, flinching as the cool cream hit his warm bottom.

Liam sighed, Niall had asked countless times why Zayn was not coming on the business trip.

"Because, love, Zayn has to stay here so someone can make sure that all the bad guys stay out of trouble." Liam explained once again.

"Ohtay." Niall frowned. Liam pulled off his pajama bottoms and gave the boy a kiss on his forehead as he lowered him to the ground.

"Come on, let's get you dressed." Liam says, going into the walk in closet that is mostly filled with clothes he purchased just for Niall. With all the money he saved from not having to buy special furniture, they went shopping a few days after receiving it all. That and the clothing they received from Eleanor left Niall with quite an extensive collection of clothing options.

"You want to wear that duck shirt?" Liam asks, pulling the green long sleeved jersey knit shirt off the hanger.

Niall nods, reaching his hands out for it. Liam lets him take it and looks for some comfy joggers. Liam packed pretty much just joggers and one pair of black jeans for the boy, unsure of what he will be comfortable wearing with his nappies in public. It was easier when he was wearing Liam's clothing, as the pants had a little more room around the waist on the boy.

"Here we go." Liam pulls a pair of light grey joggers out of a drawer. Liam turns around and quietly chuckles. "Hold on, Ni, let me help you babe."

Liam pulls the shirt off of Niall's head, turns it right side out and pulls off his tshirt he slept in before putting the green tee back on. He slides the joggers up Niall's legs and goes back into the closet to get a pair of sneakers. They lucked out being the same size shoe.

"There. All set. You hungry love? Let's go find something to eat." Liam carries the boy down the hall. Suddenly, Niall starts shouting, "No! No, no, no! Down Ey-yum! Down, down, down!"

Liam puts the small boy down and follows him as he races down the hallway back into his room. When Liam gets to the boy's bedroom, he sees the back of Niall, arm pushing between two slats on the side of his crib. Niall huffs and tries to reach the top of the crib and pull himself over. He cries out of frustration when he's not strong enough to get over the tall bars.

Liam watches for a moment more, Niall once again pushing his arm through the slats to try and reach something. When Liam realizes what is just out of the boy's reach, he steps into the room, coming to the rescue.

"Niall baby, can I help?" Liam lifts the railing and lifts his right foot, pressing the release bar under the crib. The panel lowers and Niall scrambles to get George and his blankie.

"Baby, we wouldn't have left without them!" Liam comforts the boy, rubbing his back as the younger one struggles to stop a few tears as they fall down his face.

Niall stays silent, clutching the beloved items as Liam lifts him into his arms again. Liam hums and rubs small circles on Niall's back as the two make their way back down the hallway.

"Why don't you go put your things in your backpack now, that way there's no chance to forget them." Liam let's Niall get down and watches the boy sit on the floor next to all the luggage and pull his new green backpack out from the pile. He unzips it and picks up his blankie, giving it a face snuggle before he shoves it in the backpack. He gives George a kiss and says something to the stuffed animal, placing him on top of the blanket. When Niall zips the bag back up, he leaves a couple inches open, reaching in to pull George's head out of the bag and finishes zipping, making sure that George can breathe.

Niall stands up and falls into Liam's outstretched arms. "You're okay, Niall, we wouldn't have left them. You know though, that George is going to have to go all the way inside your backpack when we get to the airport. Wouldn't want him to fall out, we talked about this."

Niall nods and snuggles into Liam, tucking both his arms under his body and plays with the zipper on Liam's zip-up.

Liam places Niall in his highchair and starts to lower the tray when Niall cries out, wiggling his body so he slides to the floor. "Niall? What's wrong? You don't want to be in your chair?"

Liam squats down and rubs a hand over the top of the boy's hair. "Sweetie," Liam continues when Niall doesn't respond, "I can't help you if you don't use your words."

Niall continues to frown and pout, but leans into Liam. Liam sighs, knowing the boy is stressed about leaving the comfort of their flat. He changes the subject.

"I wonder how many airplanes we'll see today. I think maybe a hundred." Liam states, picking the boy up and propping him on his hip as he pulls out a frying pan and eggs.

"A hundwid? Dat a yot. Dey yowd?" Niall perks up, clutching the hood of Liam's zip-up and playing with it at Liam continues to cook with one hand.

"They're not too loud. If we were outside right next to them as they took off they might be loud, but we'll be indoors the entire time." Liam answers, cracking an egg and picking up a fork to scramble it for Niall.

"Dey hab moobies on da ayepane?" Niall asks, picking up one of the strings from Liam's zip-up and placing it in his mouth to gnaw on.

"Hey! That's not for eating, Ni!" Liam exclaims, pulling the string from his mouth. He laughs at the boy's pout and continues pushing the eggs about in the frying pan as they cook.

"I'm sure there will be movies on the airplane, it's a long flight... I'm just not sure if they'll be appropriate for you to watch. But, I downloaded a few movies last night onto my laptop so you'll be able to watch them on that." Liam kisses Niall's forehead when the boy hugs him tight as a thank you.

"Okay, your eggs are done. Where do you want to sit?" Liam asks, sliding the eggs off the pan and into a bowl for the boy.

"Ni chair." He replies.

Liam sighs and brings the boy back to the highchair he tried putting the boy in, in the first place. He buckles Niall in and lowers the tray down and locks it in place.

"Here you go, do you want milk or juice?" Liam asks as he places the bowl and a small spoon in front of the hungry boy.

"Mowk. No wan pishy bow. Wan George bow." Niall pouts, pushing the colorful fish bowl away from him.

"Niall," he groans, looking at his watch as he finishes pouring Niall's milk into a sippy cup, "you wanted to take your George bowl to New York. It's already packed."

Niall frowns and opens his mouth to argue when Liam places his sippy cup on the tray next to the eggs. "And before you start on wanting your George cup, it's packed too. It's this or nothing, love."

Liam turns away and starts on his own breakfast. He turns quickly when he hears something clatter to the floor from behind him. Scrambled eggs are in a neat little pile on Niall's highchair tray.

He frowns and walks up to Niall in his highchair and picks up the now empty bowl and unused spoon off the floor. He points the spoon at Niall as he speaks to him, Niall continuing to eat his eggs with his hands.

"Lose the attitude, mister, or your going to end up sitting in thinking time."

Niall freezes, eyes wide as he stares at Liam in disbelief. A moment passes where Niall contemplates whether Liam is serious or not.

Liam raises one eyebrow in the "try-defying-me parent stare" he has perfected since Niall started living with him.

Niall takes a sip from his fish sippy cup and places it gently on the tray table. "Sowwy Ey-yum." He apologizes.

"Thank you for apologizing. Now finish up, we have to make sure all our things are in order and go over some rules for traveling." Liam sits down next to Niall as he quickly digs in to his own breakfast.

Niall is licking his fingers when Liam is done, standing and rinsing off his plate in the sink. He asks for Niall's empty cup and washes it quickly, leaving it in the dish drainer to dry while they're away.

He wets a flannel and wipes down the tray, rinsing it off and wringing it out before going for Niall's egg covered face, then fingers. He lifts the tray and checks the time as he pulls the boy out of the highchair.

"Real quick love, you're going to have to be bigger for the airport security. I will help you as much as I can, but I need you to try. Lots of people out there wouldn't understand and I don't want you hurt, okay?" Liam rocks Niall in his arms, waiting for a nod before continuing.

"Also, I need for you to stay close to me, there's going to be a lot of people traveling and moving fast so I need you to stick with me so we don't get separated. I need you to listen and not argue with me over the decisions I make for you. I make them because I have your best interests at heart and I want you safe."

Niall rubs his eyes and snuggles into Liam. "Ohtay, Ey-yum."

"Alright, Niall, Zayn will be here soon, can you play nicely on the rug while I make sure we didn't leave anything behind? You can't touch the suitcases, but anything else you can play with."

Niall yawns and asks for a movie on the telly instead. Liam quirks his head at the unusual request. Niall usually will gravitate towards his books or crayons over watching anything on the telly.

"Sure baby." Liam replies, turning on the television and getting a cartoon set up for him.

He leaves Niall laying on his side watching colorful characters dance around and sing on the screen.

Before Liam knows it, Zayn is knocking at the door. Liam opens it, frantically turning and counting suitcases, triple checking that he has enough diapers, wipes and activities for Niall to be entertained with and last through the flight.

"Someone's right tuckered out!" Zayn whispers as he peers over the edge of the couch. Niall huffs out small sleepy breaths.

"Oh great. He woke up so early, scared the shit out of me this morning. He was in my bed when I got out of the shower. I've got to wake him up through, I'd much rather have him sleep on the plane than right now." Liam says, walking over to the slumbering boy.

Zayn moves to start bringing their bags out to the car. Liam lets him know he's going to change Niall, then bring him to the car. Zayn nods as he throws a backpack over his shoulder.

Liam squats next to Niall, and begins to rub his back, slowly rousing the boy. "Baby, wake up. We got to change you then we're leaving for the airport."

Niall blinks slowly, face scrunched up as he stretches. Liam places his hand on the front of Niall's joggers. He feels a full nappy, warm from just having been used. Liam stands and picks up the still sleepy boy, carrying him down the hallway.

"Ey-yum? We go nowah?" Niall mumbles into Liam's neck.

"Soon babe, soon." Liam responds. He lays down the boy and cleans him quickly, having become quite good at changing the boy. Niall is still warm and malleable with sleep, going with Liam's motions easily.

"Hey, Liam, the car is all packed up. Anything else you need help with?" Zayn pokes his head into Niall's bedroom, then noticing the boy being lifted to the ground. "Hey there little man, you excited for your trip?"

Niall stumbled forwards, leaving Liam's arms eagerly. "Hi Zay! Ey-yum say we go on dah pane nowah!"

Zayn took the wiggling boy and bounced him on his hip as he carried him down the hallway. "Is that so? Well good thing I'm here to take you to the plane, huh?"

Niall frowned and buried his face in the dark haired man's neck. "Miss Zay. No wan buhbyes."

Zayn pressed a quick kiss on the side of Niall's temple as he stood near the doorway, waiting on Liam. "I know, love. I'll miss you too. Don't you worry though, when you and Liam get back, I'll be here and we are going to do something fun. So you think about what you want to do on your trip and you let me know when you figure it out, alright?"

Niall nods and hugs Zayn tighter.

"Ready to go?" Zayn asks when he sees Liam walking out of the hallway.

The other man smiles at him and nods, patting his pockets. "I've got keys, wallet, cell phone, dummy. All set!"

Zayn carries Niall out the door and waits while Liam locks up. They get to Zayn's car and Liam opens the back door for Zayn to place Niall on the back seat. He quickly buckles the younger lad in and ruffles his hair as leans back, closing the door gently.

"Um, here." Liam hasn't gotten into the car yet, he's holding something small in this hand, arm outstretched. Zayn quirks an eyebrow and holds his palm out.

A small key is dropped into his awaiting hand. "A key?" Zayn questions, meeting Liam's brown eyes and taking in the slight blush coloring his cheeks.

"Yes, a spare one for my flat. Just... just wanted you to have that before I forgot about it." Liam whispers, leaning onto the car.

Zayn smiles, pocketing the brass key before holding his arms out. "Think I can snag a hug before the mayhem at the airport?"

Liam matches Zayn's grin and leans into the other man. He presses a hidden kiss into the older man's neck. The two break apart, Liam's attention being drawn to Niall in the car, the boy's arms stretched out, legs kicking with frustration, whining muted through the door.

He laughs at Niall's pout, opens the back seat door and says, "What's wrong, Ni?"

Niall struggles against his seat belt. "Nah fayah! Ni wan hugs!"

Liam chuckles and leans in to placate the boy. He backs up quickly when he feels Niall pushing against his chest and whining. He is still reaching his arms towards the open door.

Liam takes a step back, a small frown flies across his lips. He tries to hide it as he moves away from the car, gesturing for Zayn to hug the boy.

Zayn gives a gentle smile at Liam before leaning in and hugging Niall. Liam frowns as he moves to open his own door. He gets in and buckles his seatbelt.

"Li, he doesn't mean anything by it. It's just cause I'm not going with you guys. If it were the other way around it would be you he was crying out for." Zayn attempts to smooth the frown out on Liam's face.

"Sure." Liam states, turning and looking at Niall who was still whining and reaching out for Zayn. Liam pulled at his seatbelt and lifted himself up, making it easier to pull the blue dummy from his pocket. He holds it out for Niall to take. "Here, Ni. Take your dummy, love. It's going to be a little bit before we get to the airport."

Niall takes the rubber soother and plops it into his mouth. He sucks rhythmically and stops his whining for Zayn, being comforted and content with watching out the window as Zayn pulls out onto the main road and begins their trek to the airport.

Zayn shifts and gets onto the motorway, headed towards Heathrow. His hand falls from the shifter and lands on Liam's knee. He sends a small smile towards the younger man, grin growing as he sees the expression returned to him.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Zayn parks in the drop off lane at Heathrow Airport. He jumps out to quickly grab a trolley to load the bags on for Liam while the other man takes care of Niall.

Liam turns in his seat. "Okay, Niall. Look at me babe. Good lad. Alright so we're about to go into the airport. It's very busy, you must stay with me, okay? No walking off for any reason. I need your dummy love."

Niall cooperates and passes his beloved soother over to Liam. He pockets the item and gets out of the car. He moves to open the door and unbuckle the boy, but as soon as he pulls on the door handle, Niall is hopping down from the seat out onto the road.

He steps away from the car, only to be yanked back by Liam, narrowly being hit by a passing taxi cab. "Niall! What did I just get through saying?!" Liam whisper yells at the boy, holding onto his shoulder as he pulls him onto the pavement.

Niall is visibly shook up over his near accident, fingers fumbling with the bottom of his shirt. Blue eyes are welling as they flicker to all the people hurrying along around them. "Sowwie." He whispers, fist clenched as he rubs at one of his eyes.

Liam takes a deep breath. "I know, I know love. You didn't mean to. Next time let me unbuckle you so I can help you out of the car, alright?"

Niall nods and reaches out to Liam, hesitating in his actions but so badly wanting comfort from the older man. Liam sighs and wraps one arm over the boy's shoulders, tucking him into his side.

"You're okay, love. Everything's okay. I'm not mad." Liam whispers to Niall, bringing the arm up that was around Niall's body to ruffle his hair.

Zayn pushes the trolley up next to them and slides his hands into his pockets. "Well, this is it for a while, eh?"

Liam turns, still keeping a hand on Niall and thanks the darker haired man for gathering their bags. He gives a quick hug before moving a bit so Niall can hug Zayn.

Liam watches as Zayn whispers something into the boy's ears. He sees Niall agreeing, a small nod, before he lets go and steps back to Liam. Liam shoulders his backpack, his and Niall's passports, laptop and nappy changing supplies tucked safely away.

He passes Niall his own new backpack, George, his blankie and a few small toys hidden from prying eyes inside of the green canvas. Niall needs a little help to get the second strap on his shoulder.

The two wave goodbye and turn to enter the airport. Liam pushes the trolley and looks around, trying to locate the desk to check their baggage and retrieve their boarding passes.

He sees it and leans his weight against the metal bar of the trolley. It slides forwards, wheels clacking loudly on the tile. Niall however, does not move forward, he's craning his neck as he takes in everything going on around him in the busy airport.

"Niall! Stay with me!" He chided, reaching an arm out to lightly tug on the backpack straps. Niall falls into place, staying close as they enter the line for the check in.

"Ey-yum?" Niall whispers, standing on his tiptoes to reach Liam's ear. "Hungee."

Liam nods his head. "Okay, we just got to check our bags, get through security and then we can take care of that, alright?"

Liam pushes the trolley forwards as the line gets shorter. A few people are in line ahead of them. Niall stands quietly, looking around, watching people hurry by. Liam tugs on Niall's backpack strap, pulling the boy with him as they are next to reach the check-in desk.

"Welcome. May I have your names please?" A young blonde man asks with a smile.

Liam gives both of their names and watches as the gentleman clicks away on the keyboard. He tries not to appear nervous, however he pulls a little bit at his shirt collar. His eyes flicker down to the computer screen the man is looking at.

The airline worker clears his throat and looks at the two men standing on the other side of the counter. He notices the shorter of the two standing extremely close to the one who had give their names.

"I need a form of I.D.," he pauses, staring at Niall a moment longer, "for both of you."

Liam scrambles to pull out their passports, and hands the two burgundy colored booklets. Liam swallows as he notices his hand shaking.

"Date of birth for you, sir?" The airline worker asks, staring at Niall. Liam has to hold his breath as he looks to his right where Niall is standing.

"The firfteent of September, 2000." Niall answers, his Irish accent heavy on "thirteenth". Liam smiles at him and turns to look at the blonde on the other side of the counter.

He finds he's proud of the way his boy- no, not his boy- Niall, answered the man's question.

The man checks the correct passport, nodding before turning to Liam and addressing him. "I notice that you, Mr. Payne, and Mr. Horan, who is still a minor, do not have the same last name. Because of this I'm afraid he cannot board the airplane without proper paperwork stating how you have permission to take him out of the country."

Liam feels Niall gripping his zip-up. He knows he's getting upset and is moments away from becoming little again. "Relax Ni," Liam whispers, "I have the paperwork from Eleanor."

"Thank you, yes, I do have the necessary paperwork stating that I am his custodial guardian and have permission from his social worker to bring him with me." Liam reaches into his backpack and unfolds a paper as he passes it across the counter.

The airline worker looks at the paper signed by Eleanor and hands it back to Liam wordlessly. He clicks a few buttons and reaches down below his counter. When he stands back up, he is holding two boarding passes and wishes them a safe flight.

Liam lifts the two suitcases onto the scale and watches as another airline worker tags them and lifts them onto a conveyor belt, whisking them out of sight. Liam pushes the now empty trolley to a return corral. He's mumbling to himself, "All that fuss and questioning and that wasn't even the security checkpoint..."

Liam turns and sees Niall standing with boy hands raised and gripping his backpack straps. "Okay love, now we have to go stand in one more line for security then we'll get something for you to munch on."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Niall nodded and walked quickly to keep up with Liam's fast paced steps. They entered the maze like queue and kept a reasonable distance from the family in front of them.

There was about 30-40 people ahead of them. Liam turned and fixed Niall's hair before readjusting his own backpack.

"Okay, Ni, so, when we get up there, you have to take your shoes off and put your backpack in the tray, alright?" Liam points to the stack of light grey trays being wheeled around by a TSA worker.

"Ey-yum, mine shoes, dey twicky." Niall softly says, lifting one up to show Liam what he means.

The high top tennis shoes have laces, double knotted laces, that Liam tied earlier for the boy.

"I'll loosen them when we get closer, okay?" Liam whispered back. He was having a tough time not calling Niall his usual slew of loving nicknames.

Niall nodded and gripped his backpack, twisting his body back and forth while he stood there. Every time Liam took a step towards the front of the line, Niall would follow.

When it came time for Liam and Niall to go through the security checkpoint, the TSA agent asked for their tickets. He checked their destination then asked for confirmation of their destination. Liam replied for the two of them. "New York."

The tired agent nodded and passed their tickets back, pointing to the conveyor belt on their right. "Go ahead and place all your belongings in the bins, shoes off too. You'll collect it on the other side."

Liam nodded and placed his backpack in one grey bin. He toed off his shoes and placed them in another bin. He looked to his right and saw Niall struggling to get his backpack off his shoulders on his own.

"Halp." Niall frowned, frustration evident on his face. Liam chuckled and pulled one strap off the boy's shoulder, holding it as Niall turned in place to unravel himself. When Niall was freed, Liam put the green backpack in its own bin and noted Niall's shoes had not yet been untied.

"Shit, hang on Ni, got to undo your shoes." Liam kneeled and undid his laces, pulling at them and loosening the tongue. Niall balanced on one foot, then the other, as Liam got his feet out of his shoes. He ignored the stares of the people around him.

"Alright, no belts or cellphones on you correct?" A woman TSA agent asks, motioning for them to step up to a metal detector.

Niall copies Liam as the older man shakes his head. The woman thanks them as she asks first Liam to step through, then Niall. Liam walks through with no problem, a little green light at the top of the detector goes off.

Niall follows suit, a green light for him as well. However, when Niall follows Liam to get his things, a different TSA agent asks the younger boy to step aside.

Niall, confused, reaches out for Liam, fearful of the unfamiliar man talking to him. The quick movement startles the agent and causes him to step in between Niall and Liam.

Liam turns in time for him to see Niall being restrained by the agent. Tears have already started to flow down Niall's face, cheeks flushed with terror.

"Whoa! What's the problem here?" Liam asks, leaving his things in the bin and trying to move to calm Niall.

"No problem sir, continue on your way." The agent replies coldly.

Liam frowns and doesn't listen to the man. "No, I'm sorry but he's in my legal care, he's only sixteen. Tell me what's going on!"

Niall is seconds away from hyperventilating, arms out trying to reach Liam's safe body. He doesn't like this man touching him.

"Do you have some sort of identification that states as such?" The agent asks, bringing Niall over to the side. Two other agents have walked up to assist, noticing the reaction from Niall and Liam.

"Yes, hang on, it's in my bag." Liam replies, turning to grab his backpack. Niall screeches, flailing with all his might to get to Liam. Two security guards are now each holding Niall back by the arms.

It kills Liam to ignore the cries of Niall. He knows how scared the boy is. His own hands shake as he unzips his bag and pulls out the folded paperwork Eleanor gave him.

Liam returns with it, hands it over to an agent and waits until he is cleared to let Niall fall into his arms.

Niall sobs, pulling at Liam, mumbled cries begging him to lift him and carry him. "Da- peas! Uppie! Uppie peas peas peas!"

"Shhhhh, babe, I can't right now, you're okay though. Hey, Ni, calm down, you're okay." Liam tries to calm down the upset boy, but nothing seems to be working.

The TSA agent apologizes, seeing how upset he's made Niall, having far more compassion after having read the documentation. "I'm sorry sir, the boy was selected randomly to take part in our security body scanner. If you two can step this way, we'll gather your things."

Liam nods and shuffles Niall off to the side, he notices a large box with two rectangles painted on the floor of it.

Niall has his head pressed tightly against Liam's chest, eyes tightly shut while he takes deep breaths, trying to calm himself as best he could. He focuses on the soothing and predictable pattern of Liam rubbing his back, up and down, up and down.

He's half listening to Liam speaking with the TSA agents. "It's just a scan of his body, harmless millimetre waves to scan the body for any potentially hidden objects. It takes only about five seconds for the scan to complete."

"What does he have to do?" Liam asks, continuing on his back rubbing, trying not to alarm the boy in any way.

"He just places one foot on each rectangle and then he has to raise his hands above his head and keep still during the scan. Then we give the 'okay' and he can exit the scanner." The agent explains.

Liam nods and shuffles Niall closer to the body scanner. He tries to pull Niall away from him so he could make sure the boy was listening. "No! Dahp! No wan!"

Liam sighs and pulls Niall in close. Niall bounces in frustration, a flicker of anger dancing over his features as he pushes against Liam's chest. "Shit..." Liam whispers to himself, seeing the signs of an inevitable Niall-tantrum.

The older man glanced to the side and saw a TSA agent watching closely. "Um, pardon me, just need a moment to calm him. He um, doesn't like tight spaces." Liam sputtered an excuse and tugged the boy to the side near a wall.

"Baby," Liam comforted the boy, "I know you don't want to, and you're getting cranky and your also probably nervous being here, in this unfamiliar environment. But baby, I will keep you safe. The machine isn't going to hurt you, it's just going to take a quick picture of you. You've got to stand on those little white shapes on the floor and hold your hands up. That's all. Then after we can go find a loo and I'll hold you. Alright?"

Liam pushed Niall's soft fringe off his forehead. The two stood quietly for a moment before Niall leaned in and rested his head on Liam's chest, closing his eyes as he matches his breathing to the older man's breathes.

Niall gives himself a few more moments of peace before pulling back from the older man's chest. "Ohtay," he whispered, "Ni weady."

Liam released Niall and walked with a hand on his shoulder over to the large full body scanner. Liam explained to the boy what to do again and gave him an encouraging smile.

Niall took a deep breath and shuffled his socked feet to the rectangles Liam had pointed out to him. He placed a foot inside each shape and looked to Liam for reassurance that he was completing the task correctly.

Liam nodded and gave him a double thumbs up. He then motioned for the boy to raise his arms up by modeling the action. Niall gnawed on his bottom lip and raised his arms up, hands fisted and shaking a tad bit.

The TSA agent thanked the two of them before signaling to Niall he could put his hands down and exit the body scanner. Liam gave them a curt nod, they were only doing their job after all, and pulled Niall into a half hug before guiding the boy to their luggage and shoes.

"Uppie... peas, Ey-yum?" Niall quietly begged as Liam bent to put Niall's shoes back on him.

"In a moment love," Liam explained, tying the boy's laces, "just got to get to the loo and I'll hold you, couple moments more."

Niall fought with himself, the internal desperation to comfort himself threatening to come out, regardless if he was away from prying eyes. He raised his fingers to his mouth, sticking the tip of his thumb in before pulling it out and pouting at Liam as he stood up.

"I know love, you can have your dummy in a moment. I have it in your backpack." Liam ran his fingers over Niall's hair briefly before shouldering both backpacks and reaching out to wrap an arm around the shorter boy's shoulders.

Niall was led gently down a busy hallway before seeing the standard stick figure man and woman up high on a sign. "Potty?" He said, raising a hand in question to point.

Liam smiled and nodded, pushing Niall in front of him, keeping a hand on each shoulder as the crowd thickened. When they were able to make it into the safety of the restroom, Niall bounced and huffed as he turned and raised his arms out to Liam.

Liam quickly dropped both backpacks and leaned down to grip the backs of Niall's thighs, hoisting him into the air. He pressed a kiss into the boy's neck and used his foot to kick their backpacks into a handicap stall at the back of the loo.

"I know, baby, I know..." Liam hushed the boy as he felt the whimpers and tears against his own neck. Niall stayed silent as he huffed and grappled at Liam's body, trying to pull himself up further or closer to the older man.

"It's okay, love, it's okay. You want your dummy, babe?" Liam rocked the boy in his arms. He shifted Niall to one arm, propping the boy up on his hip as he locked the stall and squatted to rifle through Niall's backpack.

"George!" Niall cried upon seeing the lovie, reaching out for it and nearly making Liam tumble to the floor with the shift in weight.

"Alright, alright, shhhhh, babe. Here's your George..." Liam pauses, passing the stuffed toy to the boy for a snuggle, "...and here is your dummy." Liam plugs the dummy into Niall's awaiting mouth before pressing his back to the stall door and using it to help him stand up.

Liam freezes when he hears the toilets door swing open. Niall senses Liam's nerves and cuddles closer, tucking George in between their bodies for protection. He stays silent, mimicking Liam's body as they listen.

They hear the water turn on, the uneven fall of soapy water hitting a metal basin, then the hot air hand dryer going off. A few more moments and the door creeks open again, and they're left in silence.

Liam takes a deep breath after a moment and presses a kiss against Niall's forehead. Another moment passes before he asks, "Feel better, Ni?"

Niall rubs his cheek on Liam's shoulder. The older man chuckles, "You have to use your words, love. I don't know if you're telling me yes or no."

"Yes, Ey-yum, Ni peel bettah." Niall mumbles from behind George's body and dummy.

Liam lets Niall's body slide down his as he gets the boy back on his feet. "Alright then. Before we go grab a snack, how's your nappy? Are you wet?"

Niall shrugs. When Liam reaches for the top of Niall's joggers, the boy whines and pushes the older man's hands away. "Niall," Liam raises his eyebrows at the boy, "no being like that. I have to check your nappy, I don't want you getting a rash on this flight. It's very long and the airplane toilets are cramped, I'm not going to be able to change you on the flight, unless it's an emergency."

Niall frowns but lets Liam tug the front of the joggers down slightly. Liam pulls at the side of the nappy and slides two fingers inside to feel the cotton fluff. Niall huffs and jumps a bit when Liam's fingers brush against him on the way out.

Liam blushes fiercely and babbles an apology. "Oh my God, Niall, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to... to um, touch you like that! Um, crap. I...I'm so sorry!"

Liam pulls up Niall's joggers and takes a step back, pulling at his hair as he panics. Niall cocks his head and watches Liam for a moment.

"S'otay, Ey-yum. Hans freezey freezey!" Niall shivers. He holds out George to the older man. "Wan George, Ey-yum?"

Liam pauses and smiles at the boy, at the kind gesture. "No thanks, Niall, you hold him for a moment more. Um..." Liam hesitates continuing his sentence, knowing this is not the most opportune time to be talking about something like this.

"You know... you know I would never do anything that's inappropriate, right? You don't have to fear that I'll like... take advantage of you or make you feel uncomfortable on purpose. You know that, right?"

Niall stops giving a hug to George and looks up at Liam. He senses that Liam is talking about something important, but is unable to figure out what the correct response to the older man.

The boy bites on the nipple of his dummy and pushes it to one side of his mouth. He gives Liam a big hug, and whispers a, "Woveyew."

Liam takes a deep breath. The boy's innocent words show just how much Liam panicked over nothing. He didn't mean it in any way and Niall doesn't feel uncomfortable about it.

"Love you too, Niall. Loads and loads." Liam kisses the top of the boy's head and smiles.

"Ready to go get a snack?" Liam asks, shouldering the two bags. Niall nods and begins to yank on the toilet stall door.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Not so fast little one. I need your dummy and George needs to go back to taking his nap in your bag." Liam holds out the green backpack and waits for Niall to deposit the two items in it before zipping it up.

They make it to the door and Liam fixes Niall's shirt, pulling down the back of it where it got hung up on his nappy.

"Stay close, alright, babe?" Liam reminds Niall as he opens the door. Niall nods and follows Liam out. The two step to the side of the bathrooms as Liam checks his phone for the time. Niall reaches out to hold onto the bottom of Liam's hoodie. A large crowd of people surge by, making Niall a little uneasy.

"Alright, we've got a bit of time before we need to board the plane. We're going to go find a place to grab some food and then we will eat it once we find the area where we'll board the plane, okay?" Liam asks, sliding his phone back into his pocket.

Niall nods and follows closely when Liam steps out into the river of people. Niall gnaws on his lips as Liam weaves in and out of people.

The boy pauses by a big window, a gasp leaving his mouth as he gets distracted by the rising sun and airplanes landing, taking off and taxing on the runways.

"Ey-yum! Yook! Ah ayepane!" Niall turns, excited to share his observation with the older man.

Except, when Niall looks to Liam, he isn't there.

Niall immediately scurries to his left then his right, searching for the familiar grey hoodie or the black backpack he had tossed over his shoulder.

He sees neither.

The prickling fear of being lost in a crowd is quickly smothering him, his hands being clenched into tight fists.

He pulls at his hair, then twists the edge of his shirt before sliding to the ground. He pulls his knees tight against him as his eyes well with tears. He's taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself, eyes scrunched tightly together.

The crowd continues to move around him, stepping around and a middle aged man stepping literally right on him. "Move out of the way you stupid kid!" The man shouts at Niall. Niall just clings tighter to his legs.

He jumps when he feels a hand touch the back of his neck, warm hands quickly finding their way under Niall's armpits, raising the boy up to his feet.

Niall lets out a small mewl of a sound when he sees that Liam has found him. Liam hauls him into a tight hug, both the backpacks dangling off one arm, being jostled by the flow of people as the crowd continues on their way.

"Baby! It's okay, it's alright. I've got you. You need to stay with me, Niall!" Liam whispers, lips close to the boy's throat.

"Fuck, I was so scared I'd lost you!" Liam whispers into the smaller one's skin. Niall flinches at the tickle and pulls back, wiping at his eyes.

"Bad wowd, Ey-yum. No say dat." Niall chides, letting out a squeal when Liam pulls him in tight against his chest.

"Sowwie... da... da ayepane doh! So pwetty. Yots of ayepane!" Niall sniffled, pointing past the older man and out the window.

"I know, darling, but please, please stay with me. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you!" Liam whispers, pulling Niall in again for a hug. They stand there for a moment, letting Niall enjoy the new sights safely tucked under Liam's arm and watchful eyes.

When it's time to get moving again, Liam takes a deep breath.

"Stay with me." Liam directs, reaching to grip Niall's hand, pulling him up close to his back as he pulls the boy through the crowds and down another section of the airport.

They're still walking two minutes later when Niall pulls on Liam's hand. "Hungee." He states, a pout playing on his lips.

"Almost there, love." Liam responds over his shoulder. He pulls Niall in front of him when the boy stumbles and a small gasp leaves his mouth.

"Probably easier to keep you safe this way." He places both hands on the boy's upper arms and steers Niall towards the rows of snack shops.

"Okay, what do you want to have? You can pick a muffin, a scone, a cinnamon twist, um... they also have brownies and large biscuits." Liam pulls Niall's back towards his chest and lists off the treats he sees in the glass case.

"Um... Ni hab da boobewy mupin?" Niall asks hesitantly, looking over his shoulder at the older man.

"Course. I'll get you a drink too." Niall bounces with joy as the two step into line. When they get to the register, Niall stays quiet as Liam orders for the both of them.

"Hello, we'll take one blueberry muffin and hmm... a cran orange one as well. Oh! And a couple drinks." Liam leans to the side, whispering an "Excuse me, love," to Niall as he reaches into the cooler and picks out a Coke for himself and blue Gatorade for Niall. He places the items on the counter and pays for the items.

Liam hands the Gatorade to Niall to hold and tucks his own soda under his arm. He grabs the brown bag with the two muffins and gently tugs Niall out of the line, hand in hand.

Liam doesn't let go as he leads the younger boy back into the crowds. A few minutes later the two have settled into seats near the window of the boarding area.

"Okay Ni, you want your muffin?" Liam places his soda on the floor and opens the bag. He thinks for a moment before pulling out one of the napkins the barista slipped into the bag. He shakes it open and lets it fall onto the boy's lap.

"Wan mupin!" Niall impatiently grumbles, voice low even though the nearest people are two rows of seats away from them.

Liam chides, "Patience, hun. It's coming." Liam breaks off half the muffin and places it on Niall's napkin covered lap.

"Go slow, Ni. Pass me your drink, I'll open it for you." Liam holds his hand out and smiles at the way Niall gobbles up the sugar crusted muffin top first.

Liam peels off the clear wrapper and twists the orange sports cap open. He was so thankful to see the sports bottle type in the drink cooler, knowing an open bottle could have been disastrous for the boy.

Liam holds it out for the boy to take. Niall shoves another bite of muffin into his mouth before taking the sports drink with two hands.

Niall stares at it for a moment before turning the bottle side to side. "Whadit?"

"It's a drink, like a juice. Try it. You just, um," Liam lowers his voice and leans in a bit towards the boy's ear, "you drink it like it's a bottle, or a sippy cup."

"Ohtay. Tankoo, Ey-yum!" Crumbs slip out as the boy thanks him. Niall lifts the drink to his mouth and sucks on it. He pulls back and smiles at Liam, blue Gatorade dripping out of his mouth and dribble down his chin.

"Yum yum yum. Ni yike dis yuice. Moah mupin peas!" Niall asks, quickly slurping more of his 'juice'.

Liam pulls out Niall's muffin and breaks it into a couple pieces, placing it on his lap. He then pulls out his own muffin and begins to eat it. He slouches down in the seat and takes a deep breath.

"Ey-yummmmm..." Niall whines, leaning over the arm of the chair and laying his head on Liam's shoulder.

"Yes Nialllllllllllll?" Liam whines back, a smile playing at his lips.

"It berry nice to shayah." Niall says with a straight face.

Liam looks from Niall, to his cran-orange muffin, to back at Niall. He chuckles and pushes himself up in his seat. He breaks off a piece and holds it out to Niall. The boy giggles and pops the small bite into his mouth.

"Yum yum yum! Whadit?" Niall licked his fingers as he looked to the older man for an answer.

"It's called cran-orange. It's a tart fruit and a sweet fruit together. Glad you like it. Maybe we can try making it when we go home." Liam suggested, trying to discreetly wipe at the muffin crumbs on Niall's chin.

Niall whines and swats at Liam's hands. Liam ignores the boy's annoyed sounds and finishes cleaning his chin. He then cracked open his Coke.

Niall jumped at the sudden fizzing noise, peering at the red and black bottle with curiosity. "Whadat?" Niall asked, watching the older man raise the fizzy drink to his mouth and take a swig.

"It's a fizzy drink called Coke. You've never had it before?" Liam asked, letting the boy sniff the drink. Niall shook his head and cocked it, silently asking for a sip.

Liam hesitated. "I don't know, Niall, it's not really a good thing for kids to drink..." Niall pouted and picked at the few bites of his muffin left on his napkin.

"I suppose one sip won't hurt. You are technically sixteen. It's not going to be a regular thing you drink though, understand?" Liam relented, holding out the bottle for the younger boy to sip at.

Niall sat up straight and reached for the Coke. He tipped it slowly with Liam's help. No sooner had the dark liquid passed Niall's lips was the boy pulling back and coughing. A small bit of the drink got on Niall's shirt, but Niall ignored it as he choked on the fizzy liquid.

"Ick-icky dwink! Yucky! Hurts Ni's froat! No like bubbah dwink!" Niall croaked, wiping the drink from his chin and shirt.

Liam chuckled as he recapped the beverage and lowered it to the floor. "You alright, love?" Liam asked, reaching out to pat the boy's back as the younger one coughed.

A moment passed and Niall nodded, reaching out for his own Gatorade. He took a sip and leaned back so his forehead was touching the older man's shoulder.

The two continued eating in silence. When they were done, Liam brought the trash to the rubbish bin and sat back down with Niall.

"Ey-yum?" Niall began, turning in his seat to look out the window behind them. Liam acknowledged the boy and shifted in his seat to look at Niall.

"We go up in da ayepane? How we get down?"

Liam turned and pointed out at an airplane that was taxing down the runway. "See those wheels at the bottom of the plane? They come out when it's time to land and the the pilots gently bring us down. We bounce for a bit, then we're on the ground. We'll be safe. I've ridden on airplanes a lot, it's not scary."

Niall nodded and rested his chin on his propped up arm, watching the airplanes drive around and take off. This occupied him until it was time to board the plane.

Liam stood up and collected both their bags, putting both unfinished drinks into his backpack. "Niall, come on, we have to run to the loo super quick before we board the plane."

Niall took Liam's hand as the older man hustled to the restrooms, knowing they had about ten minutes before their section would begin to board.

Liam had seen a loo just at the end of the row of seats him and Niall were sitting in, so he wasn't stressed about time. He led the boy into the largest stall at the end. The older man lowered Niall's backpack to the floor and shrugged off his own. He undid the zipper on his and pulls out a clean nappy and wipes.

Niall began to lay on the public restroom floor, seeing Liam get ready to change him. He jumps when Liam squawks at him to stand up. "Niall! Don't lay on the floor, there's so many germs there! It's dirty!"

Niall scrambles up and looks at the floor, confusion written on his face. "But.... how.... how Ey-yum change Ni? Where dirt?"

Liam replies, "Just stay still, I'll take care of you."

Liam bends down and pulls at the waistband of Niall's joggers. When the grey material was below the boy's knees, Liam reaches up and begins to tug on the tabs. The nappy sags, but sticks to Niall's skin. Liam wiggles the front free and rolls it up, placing it on the floor.

Niall's head is bent, watching Liam's motions. He whines and tries to back up when Liam swipes a cool wipe over his crotch and bum. "Hey, careful, Ni, you're going to fall if you do that!"

Liam finishes and rolls up the wipes inside the used nappy. "Ok, love, we're going to be getting on the plane now. It's a very long flight. I know you're not wild about using the potty..." Liam begins to explain, noting the look of panic on the boy's face.

"Hey, Niall, it's okay. I just want you to try using the toilet. You can stand, you don't have to sit. Okay? I can hold your hand it's not going to be scary, alright?" Liam explains, rubbing the boy's back. He leads the younger one closer to the toilet and holds onto his hand.

"Go on, love, give it a go. Nothing to be nervous about." Liam encourages. Liam positions himself so he's close behind the boy, a hand on his lower back to push his pelvis out more.

He looks down at Niall's feet and pushes the backs of his tennis shoes so that the fronts move a tad closer to the toilet bowl.

He lifts Niall's shirt with one hand and rolls it a bit so it's laying higher on his belly. "Go on, push it out, you can do it, bug."

Niall concentrates and looks down at his penis. He huffs and lets out a little whine, looking over his shoulder at his guardian. The older man smiles at him and nods encouragingly.

Niall turns his focus back on urinating, pushing with all his might. His muscles work hard, flexing his bits and making them jump up and down. He giggles as he does this. Another few moments and a small spurt of urine comes out and trickles into the toilet water.

Niall jumps and steps back, startled by his own actions. "It's okay, that's what it's supposed to do! Good job, love! Can you do a little more wee?" Liam calms the boy, pressing a kiss to his temple.

Niall shakes his head, stepping back a little more and tripping on his pant legs. "Whoa! Careful there, babe!" Liam catches him and pulls him into his chest, steadying the boy before letting him stand upright on his own.

"Okay, lets get a clean nappy on you and then it'll be time to board the plane!" Liam explains, bending down and kneeling next to Niall's bare legs. "I'm very proud of you, Niall." The boy glows at Liam's kind words of encouragement.

"Spread your legs just a little bit, love." Liam asks, holding out the nappy in front of him. "Okay, now, um, wait a moment, I've got to get the cream on you somehow. Um... alright, bend over a bit and touch your feet. Can you do that, Niall?" Liam smiles at the boy before reaching into his backpack and pulling out the tub of sudocream.

He spreads it on Niall's bottom and then helps the boy turn around and stand up straight so he can spread the cream around the base of his penis and testicles. He grabs for a wipe out of the package he packed and cleans his hands off. He quickly places the nappy in between his legs and pulls up. He attaches the tabs, readjusting them to make sure they're tight and secure.

"Okay, Ni, pull up your pants and lets go wash our hands." Liam says, packing up the supplies and rolling up the used nappy with wipes tucked securely inside.

Niall whines, "It ouchie!" He rubs his hand on his rear, pouting at Liam. Liam quirks his head and turns Niall around. He begins to laugh when he sees what he's done to Niall.

Half of Niall's left bum cheek is hanging out of his nappy. "Is ouchie! Fix Ey-yum! Fixit!" Niall has twisted around to peer down at what Liam was doing.

Liam stifles his giggles and runs his thumb along the edge of the nappy, pulling it over Niall's bum and covering it entirely. "Sorry love! First time I've ever put a nappy on someone while they're standing up. Bound to fumble a little on that one. Lets wash up and board the plane, hm?"

Liam helps Niall pull his joggers up and make sure his nappy isn't showing. Niall makes his way to the sink as Liam disposes of the dirty nappy and joins the boy, running soap and water over both of their hands.

Niall stays close as they exit the loo and make their way back to the boarding area, just as their section is being called for. Liam guides the boy into the short line and readies their boarding passes and passports. Liam also pulls out the documentation Eleanor gave him.

Niall stands quietly next to Liam, gripping his backpack straps and twists in place, watching out the window as planes taxi about, making their ways to the correct gates and runways.

"Boarding passes and passports please." A flight attendant asked, holding her hand out to do one final check before passengers board the plane.

Liam passes over all the documentation he has and waits for the woman's okay to board the plane. She reads Eleanor's letter, looking at the two before her for a moment and then scanning both passes and passports. She hands them back to Liam and nods at the two, bidding them farewell with, "Have a nice flight!"

Liam places the papers back into his backpack and turns to guide Niall down the narrow hallway. "Where we go?" Niall asks quietly, following the older man down the bouncing hallway.

"We're going on the plane, Ni. Come on, lets go get settled into our seats." Liam explains, a hand on the younger boy's shoulder as they continue through the narrow accordion style jet bridge.

A stewardess stands at the entrance of the airplane, greeting people as they board. Niall approaches her but stops as he takes a look to the sides, seeing the ground and body of the airplane.

He steps back, a frown on his face. "No!" He mumbles, bumping into Liam. Liam takes a look over his shoulder, seeing an older couple only a few steps behind them. Liam shoulders his backpack, stepping to the side and tugging Niall close to him so they're not in the way.

"What's the matter, Ni? What are you saying 'no' to?" Liam lowers his voice, feeling the stewardess' eyes on him.

"No wan. It high. No yike da pane." Niall wipes at his eye as he speaks to Liam.

"Baby," Liam begins, "I'll carry you over the threshold if that's what's got you spooked, it's not that bad. There's no reason to be afraid of the airplane. We have to go, love, it's going to be taking off soon."

"How pane fye?" Niall asks, stepping back against the wall of the jet bridge.

Liam looks over at the stewardess and shields Niall from her view. "Well, um, I'm not quite sure, it just does."

Niall's face crumbles at his response. He slowly slides to the floor, pulling his knees to his chest when he gets there. He tearfully asks, "How pane fye? How no cwash and go boom?"

Liam takes a deep breath and squats next to the younger boy. "Niall, the plane is not going to crash, I've been on planes loads of times before and I've never gotten hurt. Niall, It's--"

Liam stops talking when the stewardess that was standing just as you entered the plane squats down next to the two.

"Niall is it?" The young woman looks at the boy before meeting Liam's eyes with a smile. "My name's Amanda. I work on this plane. I heard you ask your..." She looks at the older man for an explanation of who he is to Niall.

"Um, uh, I'm his... his..." Liam struggles to answer her. A blush makes it way onto his cheeks, making Liam's mind draw a blank.

"Ey-yum, mine Ey-yum." Niall supplies, tucking his chin into his chest while looking at the stranger.

Hearing Niall made Liam jump into action, "Guardian, I'm his guardian. He's... he's my... child. He's my child."

The woman smiles at Liam before turning back to the cowering boy. "I heard you ask your dad how the plane flies, how it stays in the air." Liam blushes at the unfamiliar name.

Niall looks at Liam before looking back at the woman. She has light brown hair, pulled back tightly in a bun. Eyes warm and blue, trusting, much like Niall's foster mother's were. He sniffles dramatically.

"I'm a flight attendant on this airline. I can tell you how the plane stays up. It's very safe. Last year there was far fewer plane accidents than there were motor vehicle accidents. It's much safer to fly on a plane than in a car." Amanda tries explaining, grimacing when Niall reaches out for Liam, fear written all over his face.

"So... the plane has these huge engines that cause the plane to be pushed forwards in the air. When it's in the sky, the pressure from the air going over the wings keeps it from going down. It's the same with birds. The wind and air pressure keeps the wings of the bird, just like the wings of the airplane."

Niall rubs his eyes, "No fah down? No cwash?" He's looking at Liam as he asks the questions, eyes wide and wet.

Liam swallows and wraps his arms around the trembling boy. "No, love. We'll be safe on the airplane. Come on, we can get you set up with Toy Story or Monsters Inc."

Niall nods, whispering, "Monstah" and lets Liam help him to his feet. The older man presses a kiss to the crown of Niall's head before looking at the flight attendant. "Thank you for helping us."

Amanda smiles as she brushes off her skirt. "Not a problem. Here, if you give me your tickets I can see if I can trade them in for first class. I believe there is some that are available."

Liam's jaw drops. "Oh, I couldn't, I don't want to be a hassle. It's really okay, we don't mind being in the regular economy section."

"No, really, it would be my pleasure. I'm in charge of attending to first class and this way I can help calm him should we run into any turbulence." Amanda explains, a smile building on her lips as she sees Liam hesitantly shrug then nod his head.

"Come on, Ni, up we go." Liam picks up Niall and braces his bottom on his fisted hands. The boy tucks his nose into the older man's neck. He snuggles closer as they step over the small gap between the jet bridge and the airplane.

They wait to the side as Amanda takes care of things then follow her to a comfortable looking set of seats. Niall slides into the white leather and scoots across to look out the window. He watches as people in orange and neon yellow vests run about with large ear muffs on.

"Ey-yum, wan George." Niall says to the taller man, turning and sitting on his knees on the oversized seat.

"Hang on, bug. Give me a few moments to get settled in." Liam puts his backpack down before reaching for Niall's green one.

He places their bags on the seat before pulling out his laptop and placing it on the small table that extended from the wall of the plane, directly between two port hole shaped windows.

Liam then pulls out headphones and a book. Niall watches as Liam looks around and opens the green backpack, pulling out George and his beloved blue blanket.

Niall rubs his eyes, occasionally jumping at the residual hiccups from his earlier meltdown. Liam looks around their semi-private cubby before shaking out the blanket and motioning for Niall to sit on his bottom.

Liam watches an older gentlemen across the way recline his seat diagonally, creating a bed while his wife sits next to him, engrossed in some work on a laptop. Liam replicates the motions in their own cubby, turning Niall's seat into a bed.

"Lay down, love. I'll put on the movie for you." Liam whispers, holding out the blanket to cover Niall.

Niall yawns and stretches out, George tucked tightly under his left arm. Liam angles the screen so Niall can see it and plugs in the headphones. He squats to place the earbuds in the corresponding ear and double checks that the volume won't be too loud.

Liam puts on Monsters Inc, and sits in his own seat opposite of the boy. Niall is out like a light before the animatronic boy screams in his bed, Amanda smiling as she rolls a cart by, filled with drinks.

She whispers, asking Liam if he'd like anything to drink before take off. He takes his eyes off of the sleeping boy for a moment, before asking for a ginger ale. He also requests an apple juice for Niall when he wakes up.

He pulls out his phone to snap a picture, hurrying to send it to Zayn before he leaves the tarmac.


End file.
